Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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441. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will sanction the transportation of a disabled child (details supplied) by the school bus service to a respite centre on a Friday evening when the child is due a respite weekend given that the centre is located close to one of the school bus stops; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46064/21]

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 2020/21 school year over 114,100 children, including over 14,700 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.

Under the terms of my Department’s School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, children are eligible for school transport where they have special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability and are attending the nearest recognised school/class that is 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.

Under the terms of the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, transport is provided from home to school, however the Department does consider request for transport to respite for an eligible child based on a number of conditions, including where there is an existing service in place, there is no change to the existing service (time or route), the arrangement is a consistent arrangement and where there is no inconvenience to any other child on the service (time or change of route).

Requests for transport to/from respite are considered on an individual basis and I can confirm that School Transport Section will revert to the family directly in this regard.