The complaint:

This Office investigated a complaint about the refusal of school transport by the Department of Education and Skills to a young person because the young person was not attending their nearest school. The complainant advised that their nearest school had filled its enrolment quota therefore the young person was unable to enrol in there and consequently, the parent had to register the young person in the second nearest school.

OCO intervention

The OCO brought this information about the lack of provision of and/or entitlement to school transport for children who were unable to attend their nearest school due to capacity issues at that school to the Department of Education and Skills.

Outcome

In response, the Department of Education and Skills advised the Ombudsman for Children’s Office that they were in the process of revising the school transport policies to address issues raised in this case regarding enrolment accommodation capacity.

The Department also advised the Office that pending the formulation of the revised policy that the young person in this case, and other young people in similar circumstances, would be granted concessionary transport to the second nearest school to their home, recognising that this was in fact the nearest school with places available.

Posted in: Investigations Transport