School transport costs almost double in just seven years

The School Transport Scheme is a demand-led service, managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. File photo

School transport costs have skyrocketed in recent years, with increased demand, last year's free fees, and increased fuel costs due to the war in Ukraine blamed for the rising costs of operating the scheme.

In 2016, the overall cost of the service stood at €190m for transporting 116,000 children on a daily basis, including 12,000 children with special educational needs.