Niamh Smyth
Question:297. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education to review a case urgently (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42217/23]
View answerTuesday, 3 October 2023
Questions (297)
Written answers
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
Already over 133,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the start of the 2022/2023 school year. The number of tickets issued so far has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
The purpose of the School Transport Scheme for Children for Special Educational Needs is to, having regard to available resources, support the transport to and from school of children with special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability. Bus Éireann endeavours, within available resources, to ensure that each eligible child has a reasonable level of school transport service.
Bus Éireann manages the operation of the school transport scheme which includes the procurement tender process to include services provided by contractors under the scheme. This is a competitive procurement process conducted in accordance with the negotiated procedure under national and EU procurement legislation.
An application for School Transport under the Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, for the child to whom the Deputy refers was received in School Transport Section and sent to Bus Éireann on 1st September 2023 for processing.
Bus Éireann provided a report to School Transport Section on 20th September indicating that a new service would be required. Under these circumstances families are offered the Special Transport Grant in lieu of a service. Details of the grant were issued to the family on 20th September and they advised the following day that they could not accept the grant. Bus Éireann were advised on the 21st September that a service was required for this child.
As this is a new service that has to be established for this pupil the procurement tender process can take a number of weeks to complete.