Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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567. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the annual cost of transporting children with additional needs to special classes or special school settings from Dublin 2 in each of the academic years commencing 2019,2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024. [17607/25]

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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568. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the annual cost of transporting children with additional needs to special classes or special school settings from Dublin 4 in each of the academic years commencing 2019,2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024. [17608/25]

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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569. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the annual cost of transporting children with additional needs to special classes or special school settings from Dublin 6 in each of the academic years commencing 2019,2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024. [17609/25]

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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570. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the annual cost of transporting children with additional needs to special classes or special school settings from Dublin 6W in each of the academic years commencing 2019,2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024. [17610/25]

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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571. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the annual cost of transporting children with additional needs to special classes or special school settings from Dublin 8 in each of the academic years commencing 2019,2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024. [17611/25]

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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572. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the annual cost of transporting children with additional needs to special classes or special school settings from Dublin 12 in each of the academic years commencing 2019,2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024. [17612/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 567, 568, 569, 570, 571 and 572 together.

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 172,500 children, are transported daily in approximately 7,900 vehicles across 10,300 routes daily to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. These daily trips cover over 100 million kilometres. This figure includes over 143,800 pupils travelling on primary and post primary services, 21,700 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils who have arrived in Ireland from Ukraine.

The scheme is made up of three separate schemes, the school transport scheme for primary, post primary and for children with special educational needs. Transport is also provided for children who have arrived in Ireland from Ukraine and those residing in IPAS/EROC centres.

The total expenditure on the scheme in 2024 was €512m.

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.

The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available. However, Bus Éireann are collating the data and officials from the School Transport Section of my Department will forward this data directly to the Deputy as soon as it is available.