Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with an opportunity to clarify the general position on school transport for children with special educational needs.

The purpose of the school transport scheme for children with special needs is to provide a reasonable level of transport service for children with a diagnosed disability and-or educational need who, because of the nature of their disability, may not be in a position to avail of a school bus service which would be timetabled to pick up other children along the route of service. Children are eligible for school transport if they are attending the nearest recognised mainstream school, special class or special school or a unit that is, or can be, resourced to meet the child's special educational needs under Department of Education and Science criteria.

My Department also allocates funding to schools for the employment of escorts to accompany children with special educational needs whose care requirements necessitate continuous support on school transport services. In general, transport arrangements are made by Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department. I must emphasise that the safety and welfare of pupils availing of school transport services are of paramount importance to my Department and to Bus Éireann.

In the case referred to by the Deputy, the pupil in question has special educational needs and has been facilitated with a school transport service since 2006. Recently, Bus Éireann advised that the existing level of service provided under the school transport scheme might not be sufficient or suitable to meet the child's specific needs. In that regard, the child's mother was informed by my Department of Bus Éireann's concerns and pending a review of health and safety issues, it would not be appropriate to continue to carry the child with effect from Monday 11 May.

My Department is liaising with Bus Éireann and the school authorities regarding the measures to be put in place to ensure that the child's welfare is taken care of, while travelling on the bus. My Department has been in continuous contact with the child's mother, and kept her informed of developments. In the course of conversations between the child's mother and my Department the child's mother raised a number of additional issues regarding the suitability of the service for her child. These have been forwarded to Bus Éireann and to the school authorities for their consideration. The service for the child cannot be restored until all the issues raised have been fully examined.

I appreciate why the Deputy put down this Adjournment debate matter and I will endeavour to resolve this problem as soon as possible.

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