Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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536. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application for school transport for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48608/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, 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 and Youth.

The pupils referred to by the Deputy are both eligible under the terms of the above scheme. The School Transport Section of my Department has sanctioned Bus Éireann to establish a new service to cater for them. The Local Office will contact the family directly when the service is ready to commence.

Both the Department and Bus Éireann are very conscious of the challenges faced by parents awaiting transport for children with special educational needs. Families of children who are eligible for these services may therefore receive an interim Special Transport Grant. This is a once off payment, paid retrospectively to families once the School Transport service is in place and is intended to assist with the cost of private transport arrangements the family had put in place until the service starts.

The family have been contacted directly by an official in the School Transport Section and provided with details of the grant.