Transport Support Schemes for People with Disabilities: Motion [Private Members]
Dail Éireann — 2023-05-04
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Norma Foley (FF), Kerry

The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year, over 147,900 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the current school year for over 4,500 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
The purpose of the School Transport Scheme for children with Special Educational Needs is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children with special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability.
The National Council for Special Education acts in an advisory role to the Department of Education 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.
Bus Eireann has advised this pupils service resumed operating from 25/04/2023.
The primary medical certificate process needs complete reform. What will it take for the Government to act?
Disabled people are being excluded every day because of a lack of suitable transport. We need more public transport routes that run more frequently, at weekends and in the evenings. Being able to get to work or socialise should not be the privilege of those who are able to drive or who can afford a car. The mobility allowance and motorised transport grant need to be replaced immediately. The primary medical certificate process must be changed. The most frustrating and shameful thing about all these issues is that they are all Government decisions. The Government can change these and make huge, positive differences to so many people’s lives. Why is the Government not acting?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2023-05-04/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:51:51+00:00
Sitting date: 2023-05-04