Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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261. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding transport to a school (details supplied) in County Cork for children with special needs; the steps he will take to resolve same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39744/17]

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

During the 2016/17 school year almost 116,000 children, including some 12,000 children with special educational needs, were 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.

The service in question operates as part of the Special Education Needs element of the school transport scheme and I understand that the contractor operating this service resigned his contract at short notice.

Bus Éireann is currently in the process of re-tendering this service and they hope to have it operational as soon as possible.  I will ask Bus Éireann to keep the families informed on the progress with this re-tendering.  A Special Transport Grant towards the cost of private transport arrangements may be claimed by the families until a new service is established.