Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I understand where the Deputy is coming from regarding children with special needs who have particular requirements. That needs to be taken on board. As I outlined in my reply, my understanding is that there has been full consultation with parents, schools, Bus Éireann and politicians. There inevitably will be teething problems with the scheme. I hope they will be resolved shortly but there still may be some problems that take a bit of time to sort out. I will convey the Deputy's comments to the Minister.

As I detailed, the pilot projects will provide valuable insights into the impact increased demand will have on the scheme, the potential to integrate public transport services with school transport services and the facilitation of more sustainable modes of transport. While I am aware that some issues have been raised locally regarding the pilot, I assure the Deputy that officials in the school transport section of the Department, along with Bus Éireann and the NTA, will continue to assess the pilot closely over the coming weeks and months. I assure the Deputy that the safety of children travelling to school on these services is a priority for the Department and Bus Éireann. We will continue to engage with the local community in the coming weeks. I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to update her on school transport for the current and upcoming school year.

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