Anne Rabbitte
Ceist:428. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education the status of a school transport query (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14033/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 9 April 2024
Ceisteanna (428)
Freagraí scríofa
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education.
In the current school year over 161,600 children, including over 135,000 pupils traveling on primary and post primary services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
The total cost of the scheme in 2023 was €382.02m.
There has been an overall increase in both applications and tickets issued for the 2023/2024 school year in comparison to the 2022/2023 school year.
Children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
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 welfare of 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 Éireann wish to provide for these vulnerable children.
Bus Éireann have advised that the family to whom the Deputy refers, have not availed of the school transport service assigned to them under the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs for the 2023/2024 school year.
The service that could accommodate this family currently caters for other pupils with special educational needs, therefore it is not permissible to allow their sibling travel on the same service and the request to accommodate the sibling cannot be considered on this occasion.
Children who are attending mainstream schools may apply for school transport in accordance with the terms of the Department’s School Transport Schemes for Primary Schools.