The Department of Education has scrapped plans to run buses at full capacity for secondary school students when they reopen.
The buses will now run at 50 per cent capacity with work ongoing between officials and Bus Éireann to realise the plans.
But Ms Foley admitted the extra capacity needed will not be ready in all schools in time for reopening, saying the process is a "huge logistical challenge".
To help ease capacity issues, she said if parents "can provide their own transport we will recompense them if they are ticket holders on the bus".
"We must recognise that this is the department being proactive and recognise that as we journey through Covid we must be flexible, we must be resilient".
She added: "We're doing all that needs to be done."
However, the Labour Party is calling for the Dáil to be recalled over the decision.
Labour's education spokesman, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, said the situation is a "beyond a joke".
He said: "This is exactly why we need the Dáil to be recalled. We need a debate in Leinster House on education, on the reopening of schools safely, school transport and on the Leaving Cert.
"The Minister is in hiding, it's not good enough, we're not trying to cause difficulty for government in opposition, all we want are answers.
"When we can't get answers, what happens is statement after statement with no ministerial follow-up, then we have U-turns," Mr Ó Ríordáin said.
Responding to the decision to operate secondary school buses at 50 per cent capacity, General Secretary of the NBRU Dermot O'Leary says it may take a few weeks to implement the measure.
"It's just not logistically possible to move to 50 per cent for post-primary schools in advance of the schools opening.
"For a number of weeks, in order for us to get to the point where we can comply with the guidelines, students will be travelling on a full capacity issue," said Mr O'Leary.
Secondary school concerns
Meanwhile, secondary school pupils have “critical concerns” over the implementation of guidelines aimed at safely reopening schools from next week, according to a students’ union.
In a letter to the Minister, the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU) has requested clarification on what it says are unanswered questions regarding school reopenings.
It wants to see any official guidance which outlines the rationale for allowing different social distancing rules in schools compared with wider society.
The union has also questioned how students with medical problems can be expected to travel to school and attend classes.
In addition, it also called for the publication of a threshold number of coronavirus cases which will determine when schools need to close on a local or national basis.
This was particularly important, it said, as a full school closure was mandated on March 13th last with 70 cases confirmed nationally, a significantly lower figure than the newly confirmed cases over the last two weeks.
Guidance is also needed on the steps to follow for the continuity of teaching and learning in the event of a closure, according to the union.
“Students, families, teachers and all in the school community recognise the necessity to return to school and want to return to education, having been out of the classroom since early March,” according to the letter from ISSU president Reuban Murray.
“However, this requires clearer communications on the health and safety protocols expected within schools. To ensure an effective transition in the reopening of schools it is pivotal that guidance and clarification is provided on . . . areas of concern.”
