I take the Deputy's point and thank him for putting the matter relating to Tiernan and his care needs on the record of the Dáil. I could give him a long-winded answer, but I take the point he has made and I assure him I understand the importance of SNAs in enabling students like Tiernan across the country to access education and get better outcomes. I undertake to consult the NCSE and liaise with the Deputy in a timely manner. I will ask for the review to be completed and will certainly bring the matters he has put…

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. The question was about the impact of the delays in the Cavan-Monaghan area. I can speak to the amount of work being done by SNAs, which I have spoken about in response to Deputy Ó Murchú's matter, and the commitment of the Government to SNAs. Special education is built on the huge commitment by SNAs the length and breadth of the country and I thank them for the work they do. The NCSE makes these decisions. When the Deputy was going through the events there, he said he submi…

I thank the Deputy. First, when a child is in preschool and is availing of the AIM programme, something I noticed when I got this role was that in the Department of children and the Department of Social Protection the information that was across the system was not being shared. Children who are in preschool and availing of the programme should be very much taken into account when they start off in primary school as well. The Deputy mentioned the dates. I have the dates. The one thing I was not sure of when I went b…

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of the crisis in the youth services in the north inner city, which gives me an opportunity to set out the position regarding these services. Supporting youth services is an absolute priority for the Department of Education and Youth, ensuring that young people in the north inner city of Dublin and across the country have access to valuable resources and opportunities. The UBU your place your space scheme is the Department’s largest funded youth scheme. It targets young peopl…

I thank the Deputy for his second contribution. As outlined, the Department provides significant support to the UBU scheme for youth services that support young people in the north inner city. Many communities across the length and breadth of the country are looking for the same intervention as has happened in the north-east inner city and north inner city. They are looking at resources that I outlined in the previous answer, including the €50.7 million and other funding that has been put in place. I take the point…

I thank the Deputy for the question. The guidelines that were issued last week in relation to the SNAs were reaffirming the 2014 circular that forms the basis of SNAs being employed within schools. There was some misinformation last week in relation to it. I can assure the Deputy that the allocation of two SNAs for the special classes, of whatever form they are, is sacrosanct. It is hugely important that we get that out there. Clarification has been issued by the NCSE and there has been engagement with the union bo…

I am delighted to be here to share an update on school transport with Seanad Éireann. As the House will be aware, the school transport scheme is a hugely significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. As a TD for many years and now as Minister of State with responsibility in the area, I have seen at first hand how important the school transport service is to families up and down the country. The school transport scheme is not just a logistical service involving buse…

I thank the Senators for their contributions on the school transport system. In the first instance, the school transport system as it stands carries over 178,000 children, with 8,200 vehicles travelling over 10,000 routes. I pay tribute to the bus drivers the length and breadth of the country who are up early in the morning to make sure children get to school. What they do is important. I was lucky enough to be able to travel by bus to both primary and post-primary school and still remember the kindness of the driv…

I thank the Senator for raising the matter. The school transport scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. The Senator may be aware that under the terms of the scheme children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 km from attending the nearest school, and at post-primary level not less than 4.8 km from attending the nearest post-primary school or education centre, as determined by the Department and Bus Éire…

I have had some experience of the scheme in recent weeks, in particular, and the nuances of it. Bus Éireann is basing its determination on the fact that the schools in Cavan town are full. That is probably the reason. I will look at any information the Senator has. I understand the terms and conditions of the scheme clearly at the moment. If you have ten or more eligible pupils, you can commence a service and consider concessionary tickets on that service. You need eligible pupils in the first instance to allow the…

I thank the Senator for raising the issue in respect of Carrabane National School, County Galway. I know he raised it on the Order of Business on Tuesday. I thank him for his warm welcome to Galway recently and for the engagement we had with schools across east Galway. It was a lovely day and we certainly got a flavour of the issues across the county, Since 2020, the Department of Education and Youth has invested over €224 million, supporting the completion of 86 school building projects, with a further 31 currentl…

I congratulate Carrabane National School on being one of the first outside of the city to open a special class. Going back over the years, all school communities that put up their hand, so to speak, and took on special classes have really fostered very inclusive education on their campus. I congratulate Carrabane on what they are doing and their continued good work on it. The commitment I would give the Senator, and I know it is an issue very close to his heart as he has spoken to me about it and raised it here ear…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to address the House and provide an update on the provision of school transport. This is a hugely important issue, particularly for children and young people with additional needs and their families, many of whom require school transport provision to support children in attending school. I pay tribute to my colleague the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and thank her for her great support and co-operation, not just on this issue but also on others that arise right throughout…

I thank all those who contributed to the debate. Somebody said to me anecdotally that the school bus service was quiet this year and that there were not so many issues with it. After the past three and a half hours, I can see the issues quite clearly. The genuine commitment shown by Members on all sides in respect of school transport issues this afternoon is heartening. Everybody, whether in opposition or in government, including non-party Members, has a huge commitment to school buses. That reflects on the value t…

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Eireann" and substitute the following: "notes that: — a child's right to education is enshrined in the Constitution and, under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), must be accessible on an equal basis with others in the community in which they live; and — the Government is committed to ensuring that each child and young person with a special educational need has an appropriate school place, in line with their Const…

-----and that we will have a place for everyone. The most important thing is that we have sufficient capacity in schools. We must work to ensure we meet the needs of every student and every family and that is the commitment I give to the House this evening.

The school transport scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. In the current school year, more than 173,000 children have been transported daily in approximately 8,200 vehicles across 10,600 routes to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. In relation to the number of children who applied and paid on time and were unsuccessful in obtaining a seat in the 2024-25 school year, Bus Éireann has advised that 1,343 ineligible applicants,…

School transport is hugely important for every schoolgoing child at primary and post-primary level. When the school transport scheme was introduced, it was for families who may have been without transport. Now, it is because of working families. We need to make sure they avail of it and that there are enough buses for it. There is an ambitious programme as part of School Transport 2030 to make sure we get more and more children onto the school bus service. This year, we will again have more students on the service.…

I take the point on starting the process earlier. I always say that from 15 August it becomes school bus ticket time. A large number of tickets are processed every day by the Department and Bus Éireann. A great deal of work is being done on this. A lot of work has been done on the entire school transport system and expanding it. I take the point that a large number of students would love to benefit from it. Our aim is to try to get more students onto the school transport system. We are working within the resources …

I thank the Deputy very much for the question. The NCSE is the statutory agency with responsibility for the provision of special education places. The National Council for Special Education has sanctioned 407 new special classes for the coming year, bringing the total number of special classes in our schools to 3,742. Combined with 300 new special school places, this brings to 2,700 the number of new school places for children with special educational needs. This additional capacity, together with the movement of c…