Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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675. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when an individual transport service will commence for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63352/22]

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 of Education.  In the current school year over 147,900 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.

In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the current school year for over 3,800 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine. 

The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €332.2m. 

The purpose of the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children with special educational needs. Under the terms of the scheme children are eligible for transport where they have special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability and are attending the nearest recognised mainstream school, special class/special school or  unit, that is or can be resourced, to meet their special educational needs.

Bus Éireann on behalf of my Department arrange the provision of SEN transport for each applicant, the care and safety needs while on school transport are considered in each case.  Specific transport arrangements are provided in certain circumstances based on the individual needs of the child.

Bus Éireann has advised in the case of the pupil referred to by the Deputy, that an individual service was sanctioned for the pupil on the 8^thNovember 2022 and I am pleased to advise that the service commenced for the pupil on 5^thJanuary 2023.