Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 June 2018
364. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Education and Skills the services available to assist young adults with a disability such as a person (details supplied) who had been availing of school transport accessing their continuing education as before; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24816/18]
View answerSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
Currently over 116,000 children, including almost 12,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported in over 4,500 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually at a total cost of almost €190 million in 2017.
Under the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, children are eligible for transport where they are attending the nearest recognised school that is or can be resourced to meet their special educational needs.
Special Schools funded by my Department are intended to cater for children and young persons with special educational needs from 4 years until the end of the school year in which they reach their 18th year.
At that point, the Department of Health/Health Service Executive assumes direct responsibility for young adults with special educational needs who are over 18 years.
Accordingly, the person referred to by the Deputy is not eligible for school transport under the terms of the above scheme.
