To ask the Minister of Education (i) for her assessment of the provision of Home to School Transport in East Londonderry; and (ii) to detail the steps she is taking to ensure all students in need of this service are able to access it.

(i) There are currently 5,666 pupils from the East Londonderry constituency in receipt of transport assistance under the Home to School Transport policy. The transport service is highly valued by both parents and pupils, especially in rural areas such as East Londonderry where there may be fewer public transport options available. The Education Authority (EA), which is responsible for the operation and delivery of school transport, is not currently aware of any ongoing transport issues in the East Londonderry area.

ii) The purpose of my Department’s Home to School Transport policy is to facilitate pupils’ attendance at school and it aims to ensure that all children are able to attend a suitable school, regardless of where they live.

A number of steps are taken to ensure that parents are aware of how to access transport assistance. Information is publicly available on the DE and EA websites as well as on NI-Direct, and it is included in school admission packs that are issued to parents. Pupils can check their eligibility for transport assistance to different schools and make an application through the EA’s online portal. The EA also run a dedicated school transport telephone helpline to assist parents.

I would encourage all pupils who feel they may be eligible for home to school transport to apply via the EA website.