Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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175. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if school transport will be put in place for a person (details supplied). [48033/17]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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Currently over 113,000 children, including almost 11,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported in over 4,500 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually.

The purpose of the scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children with special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability.

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 (NCSE) through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENO).

The child referred to is not eligible for special school transport as it is reported that he does not have special educational needs as set out in the Department's Circular 02/05.

The terms of the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs are applied equitably on a national basis.