David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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592. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the special transport grant rate was last increased; the details of such an increase; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55170/22]

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 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 Department's 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.

In general, children with special educational needs are eligible for school transport if they are attending the nearest school 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 (SENO).

A Special Transport Grant (STG) towards the cost of private transport arrangements may be provided to families of eligible children in situations where:

- Bus Éireann is not in a position to provide a transport service

- a child's age, behavioural difficulties or medical needs are such as to make the provision of a transport service impracticable;

- an escort is considered necessary and the provision of such support is not feasible;

- the cost of establishing/maintaining a service is considered prohibitive.

The rate of grant payable is calculated at 39.12 cent per kilometre from home to school for the first 6,437 kilometres and 21.22 cent per kilometre thereafter. Payment is based on the number of days that the families provided transport for their children.

While the Special Transport Grant rate has not been amended in recent years, these grants will be considered in the review of the School Transport Scheme. The review is being conducted with a view to examining the current scheme and how it currently operates, its broader effectiveness and sustainability and that it adequately supports the provision of services to students and their families.

The review encompasses the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs and the Primary and Post-Primary School Transport Schemes in terms of how each element of the schemes currently operate, to include eligibility criteria, trends, costs and cost drivers, and overall effectiveness in meeting the objectives of the schemes. The review will also examine the potential for integration of different strands of the scheme and a more co-ordinated approach with other Government Departments that also use transport services.

Wider considerations relating to operation of the scheme are taking place in the current phase of the review which is now underway. The Steering Group will continue to report to me on an interim basis as the review progresses, with a view to presenting a final report with recommendations on the future operation of the Department’s School Transport Scheme.