Norma Foley to update Cabinet on school transport scheme

Thousands more children will have access to the service under the new rules which will reduce the limit students have to live from school to qualify for a bus place

Education Minister Norma Foley is to update Cabinet on her department's plans to make the school transport scheme more accessible. Picture: Niall Carson/PA

Education Minister Norma Foley is to update Cabinet with plans to overhaul the school transport scheme, which will see a number of significant changes.

The Irish Examiner first revealed the new scheme will include changes to eligibility criteria, such as a reduction in distance qualification as well as the scrapping of some rules, which will see thousands more children accessing the service.

It is understood that the rules of the scheme will remain the same for the forthcoming 2024/2025 school year, but the review recommends phasing in a series of changes after that.

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 school transport 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 under the school transport scheme. 

This will go to 2km, depending on funding. 

The cost of a bus ticket will also remain unchanged for the coming year, which is €50 for primary and €75 for post-primary. The maximum fee for a family is €125. 

Children's Minister Roderic O’Gorman is to bring a memo to Cabinet on the appointment of the Special Advocate for Survivors, who will function as an independent advocate for survivors of Magdalene Laundries, Industrial and Reformatory Schools, and Mother and Baby Homes. 

This follows a commitment made as part of the Mother and Baby Home Action Plan.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is to update Cabinet that almost 200,000 women have availed of free contraception in the first 10 months of 2023.

Mr Donnelly, who will provide a progress report on women’s health initiatives, will also inform ministers that over 2,400 GPs and 2,050 pharmacies are providing the service.

He will also tell ministers that all fertility hubs and menopause clinics are opened across the country, and the remaining two of the 14 maternity hospitals will be providing abortion services this year.

Further and Higher Education Minister Simon Harris will bring a memo to Cabinet which will outline a number of measures to be taken this year to improve adult literacy.

He will confirm that his department will fund 38 staff members across Government departments and agencies, ETBs, public, health and community services, and non-governmental organisations to become plain language editors.