Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 November 2023
82. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education if she will advise on the refusal of school transport for a child with special educational needs (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50095/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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.
Under the current terms of the scheme, pupils at primary level are eligible where they live no less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest primary school having regard to ethos and language. Applications for mainstream services are submitted on-line at www.buseireann.ie.
Bus Éireann has advised that an application for mainstream services was submitted by the family on 15/03/2023 for the child referred to by the Deputy. Bus Éireann advise that this child is eligible for school transport on a mainstream service, however there is no mainstream service travelling from where they reside.
Under the terms of the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, children are eligible for School Transport if they are attending the nearest recognised mainstream school, special class, special school or unit that is or can be resourced, to meet the child's special educational needs under Department of Education criteria.
The Department and Bus Éireann are very conscious of the specialised nature of transport provision for children with special educational needs. This is reflected in the standard of dedicated service provided and the fact that these services are generally planned and timetabled to operate on a door-to-door basis. In certain cases, the Department also provides funding to schools for the employment of escorts to accompany children whose care and safety needs require this level of support while they travel to and from school.
Given the concerns regarding the welfare of these children with special educational needs, it is not always practical to make these services available to children who are capable of travelling on standard mainstream school transport services as to do so might diminish the level of care and safety that the Department and Bus Eireann wish to provide for these vulnerable children.
Since the application for the child referred to by the Deputy was for a mainstream service, and they have not applied under the scheme for children with special educational needs, they are therefore not eligible for school transport under the terms of that scheme.
In instances where there is only one family on a dedicated service, a sibling who is not eligible may be accommodated on board this service until such time another child who is eligible under the terms of scheme for children with special educational needs requires this service. At this time the non-eligible child is removed from the dedicated service.
Bus Éireann further advise that a sibling of the child referred is eligible under the terms of the school transport scheme for children with special educational needs and has been accommodated on a dedicated special school transport service since 30/10/2022.
Bus Éireann has also advised that the child referred to by the Deputy can be accommodated on this dedicated service with their sibling and can remain on the service until such time as other eligible children require the use of this service. Bus Éireann will liaise directly with the family of the child referred in this regard.
An appeal was lodged with the School Transport Appeals Board as referred to by the Deputy.
This Board is independent in the performance of it’s functions and a report has been provided by the School Transport Section of the Department of Education in accordance with the terms of the Board’s Operating Procedures. The Board will liaise directly with the appellant regarding the appeal date and their subsequent deliberations.
