Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 October 2023
288. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education the reason that a child (details supplied) cannot get the transport to school that they so badly need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42752/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
Already over 133,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the start of the 2022/2023 school year. The number of tickets issued so far has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
The National Council for Special Education acts in an advisory role to the Department of Education on the suitability of placements for children with special educational needs. Under the terms of the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, the Department will consider the report of the Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO). School transport is provided to children with special educational needs who are attending the nearest school to their place of residence that is or can be resourced to meet their educational needs, as identified by the SENO.
Unfortunately a number of difficulties have arisen in having services in place for the start of the new school year in some localities with a small number of contracted services and Bus Éireann has advised that the service for the child referred to by the Deputy that the child availed of in previous years was one of those services.
However, I am pleased to advised that Bus Éireann further advise that a new contractor has been sourced and the a service is due to commence on 3rd October 2023 to accommodate the child referred.
The Family of the child referred have been contacted directly by School Transport Section of my Department, with an offer of the Special Transport Grant until the transport service commences.
