Vol. 445 No. 6
507 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Education the number of bus routes which carry mentally handicapped children to school on a daily basis; the total number of children carried on these routes; the number of escorts who travel on these routes; and the plans, if any, she has to provide an escort on every such service. [823/94]
508 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Education if she has satisfied herself that the allocation to her Department by the 1994 Budget to provide escorts on buses carrying mentally handicapped children is adequate; if she has been in contact with the relevant voluntary agencies in the Cork area to discuss their difficulties and worries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [824/94]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 507 and 508 together.
Under the special school transport scheme operated by Bus Éireann as agents of my Department, approximately 8,500 children with disabilities are carried daily to special schools and classes throughout the country. This operation involves a national network of 500 routes.
To date, the level of escort cover on these services has been limited and I am very much aware of the concerns of bodies such as those mentioned by the Deputy in this regard. Where such cover is in place, it operates on the basis of travel passes issued to voluntary escorts by my Department, or as part of the role of special needs assistants attached to particular schools, or as a result of voluntary initiatives taken at local level. Precise data on the number of escorts currently involved under these various arrangements is not readily available.
While not all children with disabilities will require an escort service, I am very conscious of the need for improvement in this area. It is for this reason that I have allocated a sum of £100,000 in the current year to facilitate the introduction of an escort scheme for certain children with special needs. The objective will be to facilitate the provision of escorts on the basis of priority of need. My Department is currently finalising details of the scheme and will shortly be in touch with the relevant school authorities, including those in the Cork area, with a view to making the necessary arrangements.
