Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2021
131. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education the number of special education transport applications that have been approved but not implemented by county for the 2020-2021 school year; and the status of payments to parents who must arrange their own transport. [46899/21]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2020/21 school year over 114,100 children, including over 14,700 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020.
Under the terms of my Department’s School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, children are eligible for school transport where they have special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability and are attending the nearest recognised school/class that is resourced to meet their special educational needs. Eligibility is determined following consultation with the National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers.
With regard to the Deputy's request for the number of transport applications for children with Special Educational Needs that have been approved but not implemented by county for the 2020/21 school year, this information is not readily available, however School Transport Section of my Department will revert directly to the Deputy with this information when it is available.
With regard to the status of payments to parents who must arrange their own transport, I can advise that payment in the form of a Special Transport Grant is available to families who have to transport their children to school in advance of the SEN service being set up. This grant is paid to the family once the service has been set up and once the school confirm the number of days that the child was being transported to school by their family. The grant is backdated to the date the transport application was made.
