Questions

302. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department can financially support the daily travel costs incurred by family of a child (details supplied) who has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis and attends an ASD pre-school far from their home, on the recommendation of a special educational needs organiser; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27212/25]

208. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Youth as to when she might indicate criteria and-or routes for additional pilot school bus schemes for the 2025-2026 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26400/25]

394. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Education and Youth when the feasibility study to allow for over 70s drivers to drive school buses, be complete; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25875/25]

396. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the decision to stop a school bus service (details supplied) will be reconsidered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25080/25]

414. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education and Youth if school transport will be provided for students attending a school (details supplied), and particularly for a school leaver who will attend this school in September; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25148/25]

418. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide funding to assist schools with the rising cost of bus transport, considering the benefit of schools availing of nearby swimming pools, sports facilities, libraries and cultural events, particularly those schools in rural areas. [25214/25]

433. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will approve the provision of a dedicated school transport service on a route (details supplied), considering the significant demand, the established feeder pattern from the primary school in the area and the underutilisation of existing transport resources; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25335/25]

448. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Youth to assure parents of a national school (details supplied) that they will have an operating school bus for the rest of the school term; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25454/25]

462. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a secondary school transport route will be implemented on R557 Lixnaw via Abbeydorney to service the secondary schools in Tralee, County Kerry, as the demand is there for 19 families-29 Students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25597/25]

487. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Education and Youth to outline, given the recognised shortage of school bus drivers, if she has any plans to extend the retirement age for school bus drivers past the age of 70; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25845/25]

497. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether she has had discussions regarding raising the retirement age for Bus Éireann school bus drivers to bring it into line with Local Link and other providers' policies, which would allow those who want to keep working to do so; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26033/25]

498. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she has identified the shortage of school bus drivers, the impact this is having on students and their families each year and her plans to address the situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26034/25]

223. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Education and Youth the current position with those over 70 years of age being allowed to drive a school bus; the attempts the Minister has made to change this ruling; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24958/25]

550. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education and Youth if he has considered expanding the age restriction on school bus drivers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23192/25]

567. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if there are any plans to allow people who are contracted by Bus Éireann to drive buses for children with additional needs to continue to do so after they reach 70 years of age; if she will comment on the current policy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23460/25]

581. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether there has been any further progress on the comprehensive analysis of matters as they relate to bus escort's pay and whether she has plans to ensure that they receive their pay throughout the year without the need to sign on and off social protection payments during the summer and other school breaks; and if she will make a statement on the m…

613. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Youth the criteria for eligibility for the school bus transport scheme, specifying the distance requirements, prioritisation process, and any special considerations for students with additional needs and to provide details of the appeals process available for families who may not initially qualify for the service but wish to contest their eligibility status…

618. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on an application for the extension of a school transport route (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24355/25]

330. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will outline the schools that were included in the 14 pilot projects for the school transport scheme in the 2024-2025 school year; if she will confirm the timeline when the findings of these projects will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23233/25]

167. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware that persons employed as bus escorts for students in special needs schools are not paid during holiday periods and are entitled to minimum social welfare payments to cover these periods; the plan she has to ensure that such valuable workers are appropriately remunerated in order to attract workers into this important area of work; an…

178. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department will sanction a school bus to run between two Clare locations (details supplied), despite not being the closest school, due to the high number of students who would avail of the bus and the convenience it would provide to them and their families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22374/25]

189. Deputy Seán Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Youth if school transport will be provided to a pupil (details supplied) who is starting secondary school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22489/25]

216. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the number of people who are in receipt of the remote area grant. [21821/25]

217. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Education the number of providers that are enrolled with Bus Éireann to provide school transport services for children with special educational needs in Cork for each of the years 2020 to 2024; the efforts being taken to enrol more providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21748/25]

221. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education if she will consider establishing a school bus route run by Bus Éireann from Delvin to Mullingar; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21803/25]