Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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329. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she is satisfied that the grants for children attending special schools or the transport options provided to children attending special schools are adequate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22710/23]

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 149,000 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. There has been an increase of 21% tickets issued to eligible students and 38% tickets issued on a concessionary basis in the current 2022/23 school year compared to the 2021/22 school year.

In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the current school year for over 5,200 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.

The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.

The purpose of the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs is to provide a reasonable level of transport service for children with a diagnosed disability and / or special educational need, who, because of the nature of their disability, may not be in a position to avail of a school bus service which would be time-tabled to pick up other children along the route of service.

A pupil with special educational needs is eligible for school transport if they 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 criteria.

Eligibility is determined following consultation with the National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers. A Special Transport Grant towards the cost of private transport arrangements may be provided to families of eligible children in certain situations such as where Bus Éireann is not in a position to provide a transport service or where a child's age, behavioural difficulties or medical needs are such as to make the provision of a transport service impracticable.

My 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, my 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.

As the Deputy may be aware a review of the School Transport Scheme is currently underway. The review is being conducted with a view to examining the current scheme, its broader effectiveness and sustainability, and to ensure that it serves students and their families adequately. The review will include an examination of current rates of grant payments.

It is planned the review will be completed shortly with recommendations on the future operation of the Department’s School Transport Scheme. Once approved by Government it is planned that the review will be published.