Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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451. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a special transport grant has not been granted to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly to attend a school which has a special sensory room. [35575/14]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Under the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, children are eligible for transport where they are attending the nearest recognised school that is or can be resourced to meet their special educational needs.

The National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) acts in an advisory role to my Department on the suitability of placements for children with special educational needs. The school this child is attending is not the nearest school resourced to meet his educational needs and therefore he is not eligible for school transport to this school and therefore the payment of a school transport grant does not arise. While it is the prerogative of parents to send their children to the school of their choice, eligibility for school transport is to the nearest school.

Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis subject to a number of terms and conditions including the availability of spare seats on an existing service and the payment of the annual charge. The parents of this child should liaise with their local Bus Éireann office regarding the availability of transport on a concessionary basis for the 2014/15 school year. The local Bus Éireann office in Athlone can be contacted at 09064-73277 or by e-mail at schools.athlone@buseireann.ie