Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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393. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when school transport will be provided for a pupil (details supplied) with special educational needs to and from school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49680/22]

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 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 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.

The National Council for Special Education acts in an advisory role to the Department of Education on the suitability of placements for children with special educational needs. Under the terms of the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, the Department will consider the report of the Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO). School transport is provided to children with special educational needs who are attending the nearest school to their place of residence that is or can be resourced to meet their educational needs, as identified by the SENO.

I am pleased to advise that the pupil referred to by the Deputy is eligible under the terms of the scheme. Bus Éireann has advised that the pupil can be accommodated on an existing service each morning, however, there is currently no service that can accommodate the pupil each afternoon. Sanction has been granted by School Transport Section of my Department to Bus Éireann for the establishment of a new service to cater for this pupil each afternoon.

Bus Éireann have tendered this service in line with procurement guidelines and are in the process of sourcing and evaluating a contractor to operate this service, once a contractor has been allocated, the service will commence. Bus Éireann will liaise with the family directly with regard to this matter at that stage.

Both the Department and Bus Éireann are very conscious of the challenges faced by parents awaiting transport for students with special educational needs and a special transport grant (STG) has been offered to the family of the pupil until the commencement of the afternoon service.