asked the Minister for Education if she will arrange to have buses which carry pupils to St. Mary's and St. Ultan's Special Schools, Navan, County Meath, fitted with straps to ensure the safety of the severely mentally handicapped; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - County Meath Special Schools Transport.
92.
There are ten buses providing transport to the two special schools in Navan — St. Ultan's and St. Mary's.
The operation of the school transport service at current expenditure levels is dependent on the utilisation of many ordinary commercial type vehicles which can be used for other work when not engaged on transport services.
In a minority of cases these vehicles are not suitable for some individual pupils. Here every option is considered in order to facilitate these children and, in some instances, a harness-strap is the solution. However, a harness can only be fitted with the consent of the private contractor.
The mandatory fitting of straps on all special buses would greatly reduce their flexibility and limit their operation to the school transport service. This would have unacceptable adverse economic implications for the operation of the school transport service in general because it would make the provision of school transport economically unattractive to many private operators.
If a school bus cannot be made suitable for a pupil for whatever reason the Department, as an alternative, can allow parents a special grant towards private transport arrangements.