Cash drive: Minister’s schoolbus plan to cost €228m extra a year
UP to 100,000 more children will be taking the bus to school by the end of the decade, according to the Education Minister.
But Minister Norma Foley acknowledges there are capacity constraints in terms of recruiting bus drivers.
Transport Minister Eamon Ryan is looking at potentially lifting the cap on the age at which drivers must retire. At present, that age is 70.
There are 161,000 children using the bus to get to school. Ms Foley wants to increase this by 60% by the end of the decade, meaning 261,000 will use the public bus system.
The move, which will eventually cost an extra €228million a year, is the first request for Budget 2025. The minister said there is ‘no harm in getting in early’.
The annual cost of the school bus scheme is €444million, and by 2030 the cost would be €672million.
The minister said the new system would ‘make savings’ due to linking up with public transport services, such as Local Link, already running on the same routes.
She said the current system does not ‘integrate in any way shape or form’ with the public transport system. She also said that there will be the opportunity for parents of special needs children to be able to travel on mainstream bus services.
However, she said she is clear that if parents want their child to travel on the special transport scheme, then that will be accommodated.
On the retirement age of drivers, she said: ‘It is my understanding that Minister Ryan will commission a report to look specifically at that area of providing opportunities for those who are over 70. And that’s in addition to all the other measures that have been taken currently.’
She said work is being done with the Department of Enterprise to potentially get visas for bus drivers also.
Under the current rules, a primary school pupil must live at least 3.2km from their school to qualify for a bus place under the scheme. This will go to 2km and then 1km, depending on funding.
A post-primary school pupil must live at least 4.8km from their school to qualify for a bus place. This will go to 2km, depending on funding.
Ms Foley defended not introducing the rules immediately. There will be two pilots for the next school year to ensure the system works properly.
‘There are so many reasons as to why it’s a positive to have more and more children, young people availing of the system. It became clear to myself when I became minister that something needs to change here.
‘And this body of work has
‘It all sounds great in theory’
been ongoing for some time.’
The School Transport Scheme 2023-2024 fee for a primary school child is €50 and for post-primary is €75. The maximum current fee for a family is €125. This will be maintained again this year.
Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore said: ‘While this all sounds great in theory, it must be remembered that there are still children waiting on a promised school bus service for the term that commenced last August.’