Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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519. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of applications received for the academic year for transport for children with additional needs; and the number that have been processed, by county, in tabular form. [54268/22]

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. The cost in 2021 was over €289m.

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.

The National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) acts in an advisory role to my Department on the suitability of placements for children with special educational needs.

A pupil with special educational needs is eligible for school transport if s/he is attending the nearest recognised: mainstream school, special class / special school or a unit, that is or can be resourced, to meet the child's special educational needs under Department of Education and Skills criteria.

Eligibility is determined following consultation with the National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENO).

It is not possible to provide the information in the manner requested by the Deputy, as applications are currently at various stages of the assessment process.

Over 17,500 children are currently availing of Special Educational Needs (SEN) Transport which in an increase of over 2,000 availing of transport in the previous school year. So far for the 2022/2023 school year, 4,968 new SEN applications have been received. This figure is an increase of over 11% on all SEN applications in the 2021/2022 school year.

The remaining applications are at various stages of progression with the majority of these applications having been received since 01 August 2022. These applications will be catered for through a mix of new services (some being individual), children being accommodated on existing services where capacity exists, extensions of existing routes or offer of a grant to families.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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520. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of appeals currently waiting for assessment under the school transport appeals board, by county, in tabular form. [54269/22]

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.

Decisions made by, or on behalf of, the Department of Education regarding the provision of school transport services and/or grant-aid under the terms of the School Transport Schemes may be appealed to the School Transport Appeals Board.

The School Transport Appeals Board is independent in the performance of its functions and the Board will liaise directly with the appellant when the appeal is due for consideration.

The information requested by the Deputy is as follows:

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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521. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when bus tickets will issue to siblings (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54271/22]

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.

Bus Éireann has advised that the pupil(s) referred to by the Deputy are eligible for school transport under the terms of the scheme but were unsuccessful in obtaining seats on board a school transport service for the 2022/23 school year as they did not complete the ticket registration process by the closing date of 29 July.

Some families may prefer to drop or collect their children from school for a period of time. This may continue on odd days throughout the school year too, based on the family circumstances or school absences for a variety of reasons.

It is recognised that all pupils issued with tickets will not travel every morning and every evening. In addition, certain after school activities may also result in pupils not travelling on certain days.

Bus Éireann organises for vehicles to be full to capacity with tickets based on applications received and based on the seating capacity of the vehicle. For safety reasons, it is not possible to issue additional tickets over and above the seating capacity of the vehicle which could result in a potential overload situation arising and all pupils not being carried on the service.

Bus Éireann has advised that all existing services in this area are currently operating at capacity, however, their Local Office is currently assessing school transport routes and if seats become available, the family referred to by the Deputy will be contacted directly by their Local Office.