Written answer
School Transport
All referred pupils are eligible for transport; a new service is sanctioned, while families may receive grants pending procurement amid application and provider delays.
515. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on school transport provision for students (details supplied). [64625/26]
Comment on this
Under the terms of my 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 acts in an advisory role to the Department 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.
All of the pupils referred to by the Deputy are eligible for transport under the above scheme and a new service has been sanctioned by my Department.
Bus Éireann are required to tender services in line with procurement guidelines and are responsible for the allocating and vetting of a contractor to operate each service. Once a contractor has been sourced, the service for the pupils referred to will commence and Bus Éireann will liaise with families directly at that stage.
For some families, transport arrangements for the upcoming school year have not yet been finalised. This is due to the above referenced increase in applications received this year, which has resulted in longer processing times, as well as challenges in securing transport providers for some routes.
Both the Department and Bus Éireann are very conscious of the challenges faced by parents awaiting transport for students with special educational needs. In such circumstances where there is no existing suitable service available to meet a child's needs, and while Bus Éireann are in the process of sourcing a specialised school transport service, the Department will offer a Special Transport Grant (STG) to families of eligible children towards the cost of private transport arrangements based on the number of days attended from the date of application until a suitable dedicated specialised service becomes available.