Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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139. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal can expect a decision in relation to the school transport requirements for children with special needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48533/18]

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

The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.

In the 2017/18 school year over 117,000 children, including over 12,000 children with special educational needs, were 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 at a total cost of almost €190 million in 2017.

Under the terms of my Department’s School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, children are eligible for school transport where they are attending the nearest recognised mainstream school, special class/special school or 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 School Transport Section of my Department has received an application for special education needs school transport for the child in question for the 2018/19 school year. My Department is currently liaising with the NCSE in regard to this application.

The terms of the School Transport Schemes are applied equitably on a national basis.