Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 February 2019
79. Deputy Margaret Murphy O'Mahony asked the Minister for Education and Skills if funds will be allocated to schools to facilitate the transport of children with special needs who are wheelchair dependent to external activities such as swimming (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10123/19]
View answer87. Deputy Margaret Murphy O'Mahony asked the Minister for Education and Skills if funds can be allocated to facilitate the transport of children with special needs who are wheelchair dependent to external activities such as swimming (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10080/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 79 and 87 together.
School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. There are currently over 117,500 children, including over 13,000 children with special educational needs, transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually.
The purpose of the school transport scheme for children with special educational needs is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children with special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability. Children are eligible for school transport under this scheme if they are attending the nearest recognised mainstream school, special class/special school or a unit, that is or can be resourced, to meet their special educational needs.
Provision of transport for extra-curricular activities is a matter for the school at local level.
