Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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118. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the application for school transport on medical grounds by a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [30558/17]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.

Currently almost 116,000 children, including some 12,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported in over 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually.

Under the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs children are eligible for school transport where they:

- have special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability in accordance with the designation of high and low incidence disability set out in Department of Education and Skill’s (DES) Circular 02/05 and

- are attending the nearest recognised: mainstream school, special class/special school or a unit, that is or can be resourced, to meet their special educational needs.

The child in question is not eligible for school transport under this Scheme as she does not meet the above criteria.

Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only which is subject to a number of conditions that are detailed in the Scheme.

The family should liaise with their local Bus Éireann office (Tel. No. 021 - 4557137) if they wish to obtain further information regarding the availability of concessionary transport.

The terms of the scheme are applied equitably on a national basis.