Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 6 Oct 1998

Vol. 494 No. 4

Written Answers. - School Transport.

Pat Carey

Ceist:

431 Mr. P. Carey asked the Minister for Education and Science the action, if any, that can be taken against a school (details supplied) in Dublin 7 which is attended by children with special needs, including Down's Syndrome children, in view of the fact that a supervisor or seat belts are not provided on their bus. [18552/98]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

The capacity of individual special schools to provide escort and seat belts on special transport services is largely dependent on resource allocations from my Department. The school in question is not currently included in the pilot scheme of escorts funded by my Department. The present pilot phase of the escort scheme is focused on: facilitating the appointment of escorts on services to special schools for children with physical disabilities, and providing assistance towards the cost of escorts for pupils attending the special schools for hearing impaired and visually impaired children who travel long distances by bus or train at weekends.

My Department allocates funding to special schools, subject to resource availability, to facilitate the purchase of safety harnesses for special needs pupils on certain transport services. A grant of £2,750 was allocated to the school in question in 1996. I can assure the Deputy that I am very much aware of the need to extend the existing escort scheme on special school transport services and to provide additional funding for the purchase of safety harnesses. I am currently giving active consideration to possible measures in this regard.

The needs of the school to which the Deputy refers will be fully considered in the context of any development of services in this area.