Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 September 2026
446. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will extend a post primary school transport route to collect a student (details supplied) who is attending a special class from her house. [68975/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth.
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.
Children are eligible for transport where they have special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability and are attending the nearest recognised mainstream school, special class/special school or a unit that is or can be resourced, to meet their special educational needs.
Eligibility is determined following consultation with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENO).
In this case, the school of attendance is not the nearest school to the pupil’s home that is or can be resourced to meet their special educational needs and therefore the pupil is not eligible for school transport under the terms of the scheme. The pupil resides 23.9km from home to the school of attendance.
However, the family has been offered a seat on a service, on a spare seat basis.
This offer of a spare seat on a service is subject to a number of strict conditions including:
• spare capacity after all eligible pupils have been catered for,
• the payment of a charge
• no additional State cost and no deviation/extension from an existing route
• no additional facilities or equipment being required to ensure the child’s safety while travelling.
A response has not yet been received from the family in question.
