Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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340. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a school transport service will commence for a pupil (details supplied) who started attending a special education class in September 2022 and who was awarded school transport under the school transport scheme for 2022-23; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56436/22]

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.

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 for school transport under the terms of the scheme. However, Bus Éireann has advised that there is no existing service available to accommodate the child referred.

Both the Department and Bus Éireann are very conscious of the challenges faced by parents awaiting transport for students with special educational needs. Where there is no existing school transport service available, School Transport Section offer a special transport grant (STG) to assist with the cost of private transport arrangements. Where a family are not in a position to avail of the grant option, they are asked to return the STG Return Form provided with the letter of sanction to the Department. The Department will then instruct Bus Éireann to commence sourcing a new service to accommodate the child.

Where a new service is required, Bus Éireann carry out a procurement tender process for this service in line with procurement guidelines and, once a contractor has been sourced, the service will commence. Bus Éireann will liaise with families directly with regard to this matter at that stage.