Written answer
School Transport
TAMS covers second-nearest post-primary schools only where routes have capacity; pilots remove the nearest-school rule, with wider rollout dependent on resources.
106. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Youth if students are eligible for the school transport scheme if they are attending their second next school following the school transport review. [74936/26]
Comment on this
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth.
The purpose of the Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remotely from their nearest school.
Under the current schemes, children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from, and are attending, their nearest national school. At post primary level, young people are eligible where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from, and are attending, their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Temporary Alleviation Measures (TAMS) at post-primary level, have been in place since 2019. Under these measures, transport is provided where there is a route in operation and where capacity exists for post-primary pupils who are eligible for transport to their nearest school but are attending their second nearest school.
In relation to the question raised by the Deputy, the School Transport 2030 report, recommended changes to the future operation of the schemes including expansion of the current eligibility criteria. Pilot projects commenced in the 2024/25 school year, with 11 pilots initially introduced. The distance criteria for pupils was reduced to 2km for both primary and post primary and the requirement for a pupil to be attending their closest school was removed. The programme subsequently expanded to 25 pilot projects.
The findings from the pilots will guide the planning and implementation needed for a national rollout of a revised School Transport Scheme. Implementation of the review recommendations will continue to be planned subject to resources being available to meet the increased demand.