302. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Youth when school transport will be arranged for three children with additional needs, two of whom have been unable to attend a single day of the 2026/2027 school year due to the absence of transport arrangements, while the third is reliant on a taxi service that is not consistently available; the reasons transport arrangements were not put in place prior to the commencement of the school year; why parents were not informed of potential delays when applying for and subsequently being approved for school transport; and the measures being taken to ensure these children can access their education. [67049/26]

The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth.

Bus Éireann manages the procurement tender process and contract management arrangements to include services provided by private contractors. The procurement of services can take a number of weeks.

In relation to the cases raised by the Deputy I wish to advise the following:

• the services for the first two children are currently in the procurement process. The families will be contacted once contractors have been sourced.

• the service for the third child commenced on 01 September 2026.

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 (STG). 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 families referred to by the Deputy have all been provided with information relating to this grant.