29 secondary school students didn’t get a place on a bus service despite paying on time
All primary school students who applied and paid on time got a place. Photo: iStock
In records obtained by the Waterford News & Star through the Freedom of Information Act, it was revealed that 29 students who paid on time for a place on a school bus service did not get a place. The reason for this was that there was no capacity.
According to the Department of Education’s website:
“Children are eligible for school transport if they meet the following criteria:
Primary Level: They live at least 3.2 km from their nearest national school, as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, considering the school's ethos and language.
Post-Primary Level: They live at least 4.8 km from their nearest post-primary school or education centre, as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, considering the school's ethos and language.
Eligible children who complete the application and payment process on time will get a seat on a school bus service, if a service is available.
Children who are not eligible for school transport but complete the application and payment process on time will be considered for any spare seats available after eligible children have been accommodated. These spare seats are called concessionary seats.”
The charge for the school transport service is €100 per year per child, with a family paying a maximum of €220 if there are three or more children from the same family using the service.
In an email to the department, a manager from Bus Éireann said: “29 mainstream concessionary post primary pupils and 0 mainstream primary pupils in Waterford who paid on time but did not receive a ticket due to no capacity on an existing service.”
