Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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170. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will urgently investigate a matter regarding a school (details supplied) in Dublin 9; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10777/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 113,100 children, including over 14,500 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020.

The purpose of the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, 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.

My Department has been engaging intensively with Bus Éireann in regard to the logistics for the safe operation of School Transport Scheme services for the 2020/2021 school year on all school transport scheme services and continues to make every effort to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and to provide a transport service for children and school transport staff that is safe and aligned to public health guidelines.

Additional measures as advised by the HPSC unit in the HSE have been put in place on all school transport services. Measures include all bus drivers and bus escorts receiving PPE where necessary, as well as funding to support additional cleaning and hygiene measures, including the provision of sanitiser on all buses. Seating plans with pre-assigned seating are also in place on all routes, with children sitting next to their siblings or classmates where possible which reduces interaction on school transport services.

Given the scale of services and the geographic location of the children travelling to schools throughout the country it is not logistically possible to provide separate services for each school. As schools return on a phased basis, transport services are fully operational with continued additional hygiene and other measures that were introduced on school transport services at the start of the school year. All services for children attending special schools and special classes are now fully operational with these additional measures in place.

Public health guidelines are being implemented on the SEN transport scheme, however where parents would prefer not to use the service during this interim period, the Department will make temporary grants available for transport until schools reopen fully.