Questions

658. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the situation in Castletown, where 15 children may "temporarily" relocate within the catchment area to qualify for school transport; the measures that will be taken should all applicants thereby become eligible; in particular, whether the Department will provide a second bus in such circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the ma…

660. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on transport for a person (details supplied; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12338/26]

126. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on a transport-related issue (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10877/26]

165. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education and Youth her views on the ongoing demand from school transport escorts for fair pay and conditions, to reflect the importance of their work for young people with disabilities and their families; and her views on whether it is acceptable that school transport escorts must sign on for social welfare supports during school holidays. [10569/26]

167. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Youth in view of the commitment in the Programme for Government to expand the school transport service, when is it expected that the distance criteria will be reduced and eligibility expanded to facilitate more students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10769/26]

182. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a temporary bus could be provided to take students from the Mulhuddart_Tyrrelstown_D15 School Planning Area to a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10927/26]

127. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of challenges to the operation of school bus routes due to requirements for experienced school bus drivers with existing Garda vetting to apply for new vetting due to a change of employer. [10524/26]

530. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth when the school transport scheme portal will launch for the 2026/27 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9149/26]

531. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth the data set of school transport schemes and routes (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9150/26]

532. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth the eligibility criteria for school transport scheme eligibility (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9151/26]

547. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education and Youth her views on the ongoing demand from school transport escorts for fair pay and conditions, to reflect the importance of their work for young people with disabilities and their families; and her views on whether it is acceptable that school transport escorts must sign on for social welfare supports during school holidays. [9225/26]

565. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 670 of 4 November 2025, if the independent assessment into the feasibility of removing the exclusion of drivers aged over 70 years-of-age from the school transport scheme has been concluded; and if so, what conclusion was reached; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9420/26]

569. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the independent assessment on the feasibility of removing the exclusion of drivers aged over 70 years-of-age from the school transport system has begun; and the date by which its findings will be presented to her. [9582/26]

593. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of school transport applications submitted in Waterford from 2022 to 2025; and the number of those applications that were approved during this period, in tabular form. [9842/26]

635. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Youth if an issue with school transport can be resolved for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10284/26]

653. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which her Department intends to ensure that new contracts for the school transport scheme will be issued without delay after the expiry of the current term in June, to provide consistency and reliability for bus operators; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10395/26]

233. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a school bus issue can be examined (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8865/26]

512. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the funding provided for school transport schemes in 2025; the steps taken to address capacity issues in underserved areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7858/26]

257. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education and Youth to confirm whether there is a set retirement age for school bus escorts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7089/26]

52. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if Bus Éireann will consider extending the upper age limit for school bus drivers from the current cut-off point of 70 years to 75 years or beyond, provided that drivers are medically fit given that there is no legal upper age limit in the State requiring a person to cease driving; his views that such a change could help alleviate shortages…

53. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if there will be a recruitment campaign in 2026 for school bus operators and drivers to help alleviate the shortage of school bus places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6691/26]

54. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the guidelines relating to the distance to a child’s nearest school will be reviewed, particularly in cases where a child requires a special education place and the nearest school with such facilities may be the furthest from the family home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6692/26]

55. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a more efficient system will be put in place for the 2026/2027 school year to ensure that queries from Oireachtas members receive timely replies for their constituents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6693/26]

56. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if there will be additional school transport routes for the Wicklow–Wexford area for the 2026/2027 school year following the evaluation of the 2025/2026 pilot scheme; when this will be announced in advance of the next academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6694/26]

57. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Education and Youth when evaluating new routes, if he and Bus Éireann will allocate a new route to an area (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6695/26]