Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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385. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special transport grants paid out, by county, in tabular form. [56580/25]

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.

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.

In some circumstances a parent/guardian may be eligible for a Special Transport Grant (STG) toward the cost of private transport arrangements.

The Special Transport Grant (STG) may be provided to families of eligible children or young people in on either an interim or full time basis in situations where:

• Bus Éireann is not able to provide a transport service and a family is waiting on the commencement of the service
• a child's or young person’s behavioural difficulties or medical needs are such as to make the provision of a transport service unsuitable.
• an escort is considered necessary, and the provision of such support is not available.
• the cost of establishing/maintaining a service is considered prohibitive.