Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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235. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a reply will issue from the school transport section of his Department to a letter sent to the section on 1 August 2019 and which was followed by a reminder on 3 September 2019 (details supplied); the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42216/19]

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

In the 2018/2019 school year over 117,500 children, including over 13,000 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of over €200m in 2018.

In general, children with Special Educational Needs are eligible for school transport where they are attending the nearest recognised school 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.

The child in question is not attending her nearest school and is therefore not eligible for school transport under the terms of our scheme. The child is availing of Special Concessionary transport and commenced on the service on the 9^thSeptember 2019

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