Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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321. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when transport provisions will commence for a child (details supplied) with additional needs. [44762/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021.

The purpose of the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) 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.

Bus Éireann has advised that a service is due to commence on Monday 12th September for the pupil referred to by the Deputy. The family has been contacted directly to inform them.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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322. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special school transport applications that have been received for the forthcoming school year by county; the number approved; the number denied; the number approved but yet to commence; and the general reason for same in tabular form. [44763/22]

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 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021.

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.

Under the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, children are eligible for 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.

To date, over 4,000 applications for transport for children with special educational needs have been received in the Department and submitted to Bus Éireann for the 2022/23 school year. As these applications are received throughout the year, this number will change throughout the 2022/23 school year.

The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in the format required, as Bus Éireann are continuing to process applications and to provide transport for pupils as soon as services and drivers are sourced and become available to provide transport for pupils in question.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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323. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when school transport will be provided in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44800/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021.

In July 2022, Government announced funding for the waiving of school transport scheme fees for the coming school year as part of a wider package of cost of living measures.

Ticket registration for the 2022/23 school year closed on 29 July by which time almost 130,000 applications/registrations were received for mainstream school transport. This figure includes 44,299 new applications as well as roll-overs from the previous school year.

The normal eligibility criteria of the scheme still apply and tickets continue to be allocated in line with this criteria. Pupils at primary level are eligible where they live no less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest primary school. At post primary level, students who live no less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre are deemed eligible.

Any pupils/students who do not meet these criteria are deemed not eligible, or otherwise known as concessionary applicants, and are allocated a ticket based on the availability of a seat when all eligible children have been catered for.

In line with normal practice, all eligible children who completed the application and ticket registration process on time for the 2022/2023 school year will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.

In addition, pending completion of the outcome of the full review of the School Transport Scheme, Temporary Alleviation Measures at post-primary level will be continued for the 2022/2023 school year. Under these measures, which were initially introduced in 2019, transport will provided for post-primary pupils who are eligible for transport to their nearest school and are attending their second nearest school and who applied by the 29th April and registered for a ticket by the 29th July.

Bus Éireann have advised that the pupil referred to by the Deputy is eligible for transport as they are attending their nearest school.

A mainstream application for transport was first received for this pupil on 03/07/2020 for the 2020/21 school year and their application carried forward to subsequent school years. However as no ticket request was received for this pupil for the 2022/23 school year a ticket was not issued to the pupil.

The existing school transport service is now currently operating to capacity and there are no seats available at present.

Bus Éireann have also confirmed that no application for transport for children with special educational needs has been received to date for this pupil.