Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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477. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a child (details supplied) who has always travelled with their twin siblings on the bus to school can continue to travel with them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51963/22]

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 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.

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.

Two of the siblings referred to by the Deputy are eligible under the terms of the above scheme and I am pleased to advise that they are being accommodated on a dedicated service for children with special educational needs, however, the third sibling is not eligible under the terms of the scheme.

The Department and Bus Éireann are very conscious of the specialised nature of transport provision for children with special educational needs. This is reflected in the standard of dedicated service provided and the fact that these services are generally planned and timetabled to operate on a door-to-door basis. In certain cases, the Department also provides funding to schools for the employment of escorts to accompany children whose care and safety needs require this level of support while they travel to and from school.

Given the concerns regarding welfare of children with special educational needs, it is not always practical to make these services available to children who are capable of travelling on standard mainstream school transport services. As to do so might diminish the level of care and safety that the Department and Bus Eireann wish to provide for these vulnerable children.

Children who are attending mainstream schools may apply for school transport in accordance with the terms of the Department’s School Transport Schemes for Primary Schools.