Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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172. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the school transport supports available to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30937/17]

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 the school transport scheme for children with special educational needs children are eligible for 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.

Eligibility is determined following consultation with the National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENO).

My Department has not received an application for school transport for the child in question.

In this regard, the family should liaise with the School Authorities and the SENO, attached to the school, if they wish to make an application for the 2017/18 school year.