Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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81. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a decision will be made on an application for school transport under the provisions for children with special needs, disability and health conditions submitted to his Department for a person (detail supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40017/17]

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.

In general, children with special educational needs are eligible for school transport if they are attending the nearest recognised mainstream or special school that is or can be resourced, to meet their special  educational needs under Department of Education and Skills' criteria.

Applications for transport provision, under the terms of this scheme, should only be completed in circumstances where children are not in a position to avail of standard school transport services.

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

In this regard parents of the child in question should complete and submit  an application for school transport, for the child in question, should they wish to avail of transport under the terms of the above scheme.