An inter-Departmental transport accessibility committee, chaired by the Department of Tourism, Transport and Communications, have been in operation for some years. The task of this committee is to identify and provide advice as to the appropriate measures to improve accessibility for the disabled to all modes of public transport. The work of this committee is ongoing.
In the particular case of school transport for handicapped children, the committee have recommended that due attention be paid to accessibility in selecting buses to operate this service. My Department and Bus Éireann are fully committed to this objective. The level of this commitment is reflected in the fact that over £6 million or 20 per cent approximately of the total expenditure on school transport is devoted to the provision of special services for the handicapped, notwithstanding that such children constitute only 5 per cent of the total population availing of the scheme.