Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 September 2011
61 Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) in County Galway has not been provided with door to door school transport to attend a school in view of the fact that the person has a disability and lives approximately 70 km from said school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24315/11]
View answerThe purpose of the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs arising from a diagnosed disability is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of these children.
Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes. Bus Éireann endeavours, within available resources, to ensure that each eligible child has a reasonable level of school transport service.
A Special Transport Grant has been sanctioned by my Department towards the cost of private transport arrangements from the child's home to a pick-up point along the route of an existing transport service.
This arrangement may be reviewed should local circumstances change.
62 Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a remote area grant will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24317/11]
View answerTo be eligible for a grant under the terms of the remote area grant scheme, an applicant must satisfy a number of criteria, one of which is that he or she should be resident more than 3.2 km from a pick up point on a transport service to a school where suitable free second level education is available.
As the applicant to whom the Deputy refers does not satisfy this criterion, she is not eligible for a remote area grant.
