Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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200. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure that a bus is sourced for a school (details supplied), to ensure that children with additional needs can get to and from school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43731/23]

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 2022/23 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were 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 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.

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

Already over 133,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the start of the 2022/2023 school year. The number of tickets issued so far has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.

Under the terms of the 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 the Department on the suitability of placements for children with special educational needs.

Bus Éireann has reported in recent weeks that unfortunately, for a small number of families, assigned to Special Educational Needs transport services that had been secured, a number of difficulties have arisen in some localities with a small number of contracted services.

Bus Éireann is working intensively to ensure that transport arrangements are put in place as soon as possible. Bus Éireann has advised that the service referred to by the Deputy is currently in the procurement process and once a suitable contractor is sourced Bus Éireann will contact the families directly.

Both the Department and Bus Éireann are very conscious of the challenges faced by parents awaiting transport for students with special educational needs. Families of children who are eligible for these services may therefore avail of the Special Transport Grant which is a once off payment, paid retrospectively to families once the School Transport service is in place and is to assist with the cost of private transport arrangements the family had put in place until services are finalised. The Department of Education will be in contact with families in relation to this interim grant. Further information can be found at : gov.ie/schooltransport.

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 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.

In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.

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

Already over 133,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the start of the 2022/2023 school year. The number of tickets issued so far has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.

In recent weeks, Bus Éireann issued tickets for school transport on bus services that had been secured. Unfortunately a number of difficulties have arisen in some localities involving a small number of contracted services, including a number of services in the Clare region.

Bus Éireann is working intensively to ensure that transport arrangements are put in place as soon as possible. The School Transport team is continuing to prioritise arrangements to ensure transport can be sourced and put in place as soon as possible. The Department will continue to liaise with all relevant bodies including the National Transport Authority and will continue to explore all available options for areas where transport is not yet in place.

Bus Éireann manage the operation of the school transport scheme which includes the procurement of contractors for over 94% of routes nationally. Part-time School Bus Drivers and drivers nominated by private operators who operate service as part of the School Transport Scheme may operate on the scheme from age 19 depending on the level of experience, vehicle, and category of licence held. Drivers can continue to perform in the role provided they hold the requisite license and satisfy an annual medical examination until they retire at age 70. This policy and criteria is applied to all drivers who provide school transport services on behalf of Bus Éireann equally.

Individual queries related to social welfare assistance, are a matter for the Department of Social Protection.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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202. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if any assistance in respect of school transport can be provided to a number of local families (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43762/23]

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 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.

In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.

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

Already over 133,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the start of the 2022/2023 school year. The number of tickets issued so far has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.

A pupil with special educational needs is eligible for school transport if they are 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 (SENO).

There was a 30% increase in the number of special educational transport journeys from 2019 to the 2022/2023 school year, and already over 1,400 new applications have been received since July for the 2023/2024 school year.

New applications for the 2023/2024 school year 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 and grants to families.

Bus Éireann has confirmed that the pupil referred to by the Deputy is allocated to route B3022 and that this route is unfortunately not operating at present.

Bus Éireanns Local Office are intensively working to source a suitable contractor and driver to operate this route.

A Special Transport Interim Grant is available to families of children with special educational needs who, following the application process, are eligible under the terms of the school transport scheme and were awaiting a School Transport service to be put in place.

This grant is a once off payment. The interim grant is offered from the date of application to assist with the cost of private transport arrangements the family had put in place until a transport service is ready to commence. Further information on the Special Transport Interim Grant can be found at: gov.ie/schooltransport. If the family have any queries in relation to this grant, they can contact officials in School Transport Section at school_transport@education.gov.ie with their child's details and officials will be happy to assist.