Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 April 2025
222. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Education the transport costs incurred by her Department for children additional needs who travel to either a special education class or special school settings in Kildare for the past five years, by mode of transport, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18153/25]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year, over 172,500 children, are transported daily in approximately 7,900 vehicles across 10,300 routes daily to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. These daily trips cover over 100 million kilometres. This figure includes over 143,800 pupils travelling on primary and post primary services, 21,700 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils who have arrived in Ireland from Ukraine.
The scheme is made up of three separate schemes, the school transport scheme for primary, post primary and for children with special educational needs. Transport is also provided for children who have arrived in Ireland from Ukraine and those residing in IPAS/EROC centres.
The total expenditure on the scheme in 2024 was €512m.
The information required is not readily available in the format requested by the Deputy as costs are not attributed on a per county of school basis, and is dependant on the number of days operated on a per route basis. Routes can cover a number of schools in an area that may not be in the same county. The estimated total cost of providing school transport nationally including escort grant payments to schools, and Special Transport Grant payments to families is currently approximately half the overall school transport expenditure.
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.
The National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) acts in an advisory role to my Department on the suitability of placements for children with special educational needs.
A pupil with special educational needs is eligible for school transport if s/he is attending the nearest recognised: mainstream school, special class / special school or a unit, that is or can be resourced, to meet the child's special educational needs under Department of Education and Skills criteria.
Eligibility is determined following consultation with the National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENO).
Parents should contact their school principal who will assist in making an application for school transport to the SENO that is affiliated with the school the child is attending.
Further details of this scheme can be found on the Department's website: www.gov.ie/en/service/07a71-school-transport/#children-with-special-educational-needs.
