Michael Moynihan
Cork North-West · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I cannot emphasise enough the respect that the Minister, Deputy Naughton, and I have for special needs assistants and the contribution they make to education. In March, we met the SNAs to have further engagement and consultation with them and to understand their roles.”
“We are very conscious of the issue. A huge number of groups that I have met over the past while, particularly on the dyslexia side, have all been discussing assistive technologies. That is also the case for children who are non-communicative and non-verbal. Assistive technologies are extremely important for them.”
“By way of background, 85% of the applications processed for assistive technology between January and June have been approved. We are always conscious of those who fall outside the scheme.”
“The approximate cost to the State per mainstream pupil is currently €1,400 annually, while the cost to the family is €100 per pupil. The total cost of the school transport system in 2025 was €537 million, equating to almost €3 million being spent on the provision of school transport per day.”
“I thank the Deputy. We are looking at ways to ensure that if there is a ticket issued, it will be used. Anecdotally, the Deputy and other colleagues tell us about school routes the length and breadth of the country that have spare capacity but, when we look at the system, all of the tickets on that particular school route are occupied and…”
“Under the current scheme, schools receive funding towards computers and specialised equipment required for educational purposes. To qualify, a student must have a diagnosis of a physical or commutative disability and a professional assessment confirming the equipment is essential to access the curriculum.”
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“A notice of suspension of works was communicated to the contractor on 23 May 2025 in accordance with the provisions of the contract. During the suspension, the Department carefully considered the best way to deliver a school building while also respecting its statutory obligations. A notice of termination was issued under the contract on 1 July 2025 following careful consideration of the need to ensure compliance with those statutory obligations. Department officials will continue to work extremely closely with the school principal and board of management. The Deputy will probably we aware that as an interim measure, the Department is providing accommodation more suitable to the current needs of the school nearby in Cathal Brugha Street.”
“Good progress was initially made following the project manager's intervention in the summer of 2024 up to year end with significant visible progress being made on the structure. Since Christmas however, the project issues have intensified. The Department has had ongoing engagement with the contractor and the design team to try to resolve these issues. As a result, the Department entered into a conciliation hearing to try to reach agreement on a solution to ensure the earliest possible delivery of the school while respecting its statutory obligations. In accordance with standard practice and contractual requirements, the conciliation process is of a confidential nature. A temporary pause on works, under the suspension of works provisions of the contract, provided an opportunity to consider outcomes from the conciliation process.”
“A number of issues arose on site at the outset, which is not unusual given the nature of a brownfield city centre site, but this led to a delay. While all parties actively engaged to discuss and resolve the issues and to reduce any risk to the programme, these unforeseen matters did lead to a delay. In response to issues on the site, the Department sanctioned the appointment of a project manager on the project, who has engaged with both the design team and contractor to minimise project delays on the programme and ensure clear lines of communication were in operation with everybody. The appointed project managers developed various proposals and strategies to remedy any issues impacting the programme, realigning the full project team roles, and agreeing the project delivery timelines and goals.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising the issue regarding Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire on Dominick Street. It gives me the opportunity to outline to the Dáil the current position. The Minister and the Department of Education and Youth are fully committed to delivering a new school building for Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire as quickly as possible. Department officials are in constant contact with the school authorities, meeting every number of weeks, and more frequently when required. The Minister and her Department are committed to continuing to support the school. The project is included in the Department’s construction programme and is being delivered under the national development plan as part of the Project Ireland 2040 framework.”
“We have to do more work in the special classes at post-primary level. We are acutely aware it. We are working with the NCSE to make sure that there is more in that. School transport also comes under my brief. I welcome the €69 million investment in school transport. This is hugely important infrastructure. Over the past number of weeks since the Dáil came back after the summer, there have been nine hours of debate in the Dáil, Seanad and committees on school transport. It shows the importance of school transport to families and communities, and particularly for the students who are availing of it. It is an important piece and we will continue to work to make sure that we roll it out better. On special education, there are many challenges for children with additional needs to get them to and from school.”
“Due to the October deadline we brought forward last week, we are now in a position to know the challenges that are necessary and how we are going to roll that out to make sure that students will know their places in a timely manner. We will also have the construction of those places in a timely manner over the next number of months. It is important to acknowledge the commitment by the entire Government to special education and the importance that we in the Department, and as public representatives, see in it as well. An anomaly that the Minister spoke about relates to children of post-primary age who are in special schools. The capitation grant is going up to the higher rate. This is welcome across the special schools. It will make it easier. We need to make sure we have enough funding right across special schools.”
“The roll-out of the educational therapy services is one of the commitments we had in the programme for Government in terms of putting therapists back into special schools first, then into special classes and onto mainstream schools in order that students will be able to receive their therapies within the school process. Recruitment is starting on that. I am delighted that the whole of Government have been very much involved in this. If we look at the challenges that have been faced right across the spectrum in relation to children with additional needs, a lot of work has been done by the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, and ourselves and that is ongoing. We have met on a weekly basis over the past number of months to make sure we are dealing with this and understanding them.”
“The funding that was announced yesterday will see 860 special needs teachers. This is one of the largest ever addition of special education teachers, SETs, who will work across mainstream schools, special classes, and special schools. Funding has been secured for 1,717 additional SNAs. I pay tribute to the SNAs for the amazing they do in special schools, special classes and mainstream schools. That is going to bring the total to almost 25,000 SNAs working within our school system. There is huge commitment by the SNAs to work alongside their colleagues in the teaching profession as well.”
“I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate. Like the Minister, I congratulate all those who did their junior certificate this year. If I may be so bold, I want to particularly congratulate the students of Boherbue Comprehensive School, in which I have a particular interest. I congratulate Anna and all those who did so well. I wish them very well in the times ahead. It was fierce excitement for everybody who did the junior cert today. I wish all of them the very best in education or life going forward. I am delighted to welcome that the special education budget, which has surpassed €3 billion for the first time. It is indicative of the commitment of the Minister, the Government, and myself to supporting children with additional needs across our schools.”
“Concerns were raised by schools and school management over the past week, but we have sought to bring clarity on it and to assure people that the role of the SNA is sacrosanct, that everybody knows it is based on the 2014 guidelines and that the allocations will be accordingly. I take the point that there were concerns about it. I am concerned about that as well. Further clarification will be issued to ensure what we are saying.”
“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 bodies over the past number of days to bring clarity on it. We are committed to ensuring that the SNAs are right across the board and that they are meeting the needs within schools.”
“It is important that while we continue to support and invest in these communities and ensure that the marginalised and vulnerable are given an opportunity to flourish and move forward with their lives, we take stock of how these programmes are working and whether the outcomes are successful, and if not, we have to tweak them to make sure that we have the best possible outcomes for the people involved. I will endeavour, within the Department, to work with the Deputy to get as much funding and targeted measures as possible.”
“I assure him that the Department of Education and Youth is very much aware of the marginalised and vulnerable, and those at risk of not flourishing. One key issue before us as a State is the percentage of people who, because of intergenerational issues, including crime and drugs, are outside the State or not really engaging in education or with services, which is a key objective. We have seen an increase in the budget for this over recent years. There are other disadvantaged communities, which have been raised by other Deputies in the House.”
“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 that we have to look at the outcomes. The Deputy also made a point about people turning their lives around and the number of young people who have successfully done that. There might be very few, but every success is a success.”
“This includes relevant youth services in the area. Working together with the city connects team, some youth services in the area have been able to adapt or change the services they provide to ensure they are meeting the strengths, interests and needs of young people based on information provided by these young people to the city connects team. The Department is actively engaged in reviewing and strengthening the youth work services in the north inner city to ensure they are responsive to the evolving needs of young people, inclusive in their reach and effectively resourced.”
“The Department is also represented in the north east inner city's task force, including its various subgroups. The Department participates in subgroup 3, which focuses on supporting children, young people and family wellbeing. A key objective of the current NEIC strategic plan, being led by subgroup 3, is to develop a strategic plan for youth work and youth services in the area. Department officials are working closely with the NEIC structures to progress and support this objective. The Department funds the NEIC city connects pilot project, currently running in ten NEIC primary schools and eight schools serving children of post-primary age who live in the north east inner city. City connects organises student support and leverages existing school and community-based resources to improve students' academic and social-emotional outcomes.”
“Over €17 million of the UBU scheme has been allocated to the City of Dublin Education and Training Board in its capacity as a grant administering body in respect of the scheme. More specifically, €2.8 million was allocated to five UBU youth services that support young people in the north inner city. This year, in addition to the base allocation of the UBU funding, the Department is providing a further support of €170,000 in recognition of the challenges facing the youth services to address the needs of young people in the north inner city. The aim of this additional funding was to provide additional youth services in the north east inner city, NEIC, to ensure that young people who are marginalised, disadvantaged or vulnerable are afforded the opportunity to participate in voluntary youth services to support their wellbeing.”
“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 people aged between ten and 24 who are identified as marginalised, vulnerable and at risk of not flourishing. A budget of €50.7 million was allocated under the UBU scheme in 2025, representing a 6% increase on budget 2024.”
“I take the points he has raised very earnestly and I will endeavour to help in this situation. I give an undertaking to do that and we will come back to him when I have an update.”
“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 back was if the OT report was only submitted on 9 June, but the Deputy has clarified that. It may have been submitted prior to the application. I will endeavour to go back. I had discussions with the NCSE regarding this issue since he first raised it with me and I will endeavour to bring clarity on it as soon as possible.”
“I understand from my previous conversations with the Deputy and with the NCSE that officials were working with the school to resolve these issues. I will go back again. It might be this afternoon before I get a chance to do it, but I will certainly go back to them. I would appreciate it if the Deputy could give the date of the OT's report. Then if there is any further information he wants to put on I will take it on board.”
“In the cases of a lot of children with additional and complex needs, parents will constantly say that if there is an SNA there, they will be able to encourage the child, help them and ensure they are integrated into the school as best as possible. I understand that. I also understand very specifically the importance of the SNA role in schools and of course for the families as well. I will work with the Deputy. He mentioned this to me during Private Members' business the other week. I will work with him and the NCSE to see if we can get a resolution to this. I can understand the frustration about the dates he has given me. I would appreciate it if he could give me as many of the dates as possible. If he could put the dates on the record, I will endeavour as a matter of urgency to address this.”
“I have all the other dates here relating to this case, but the Deputy mentioned he submitted, on behalf of the family, an occupational therapist's report to the NCSE and I would appreciate that. If the Chair will allow I will give time to him to outline the case out of my time. I will endeavour to try to bring this to a satisfactory conclusion. When parents contact the NCSE about the needs of their children they are constantly asking what the best possible outcome is, whether it is mainstream, a special class or a special school. They are constantly worried about whether the right supports are in the school and whether their child will be able to survive in the school environment.”
“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 submitted an OT report in relation to Sonny. What date was that report? The Deputy might come back to me in his supplementary contribution. I want to get the facts.”
“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 completed and will certainly bring the matters he has put on the record of the Dáil. I understand as well that documentation is with the NCSE, through the school authorities. I will certainly liaise with the Deputy if that is okay.”
“I assure the Deputy that I will liaise with the NCSE and the Department to make sure the review is done as speedily as possible and we can get back to him. I take the points the Deputy made relating to his constituent and the level of need that is there. I assure him that I will work with the NCSE to ensure there is a timely review of the matter and we can get back to him as soon as it is completed.”
“Such reviews can see an increased or reduced level of support or no change in allocation. This has always been part of the work of the council and is necessary to ensure that resources are allocated in line with the level of need. Regarding the issue that the Deputy raised, the NCSE advised me that it has been in communication with the school regarding the deployment of an SNA allocation and that the student is being provided with support at present. The school submitted a further request to the council. There were a number of issues with that request. The council went back to the school looking for further information. This information was received by the council on 15 September and the review is being processed.”
“On the issue the Deputy raised, the NCSE is responsible for co-ordinating and advising on educational provision for children with additional needs. We will have 23,000 SNAs working in our educational system by the end of this year. It is important that we have. The number of SNAs available for allocation has continued to increase annually. Budget 2025 provided for 1,600, which is the largest ever number. The NCSE manages the allocation of SNAs to schools and it is responsible for ensuring that these resources are allocated to children with the greatest level of need. The NCSE advised each school in June of their allocation for the 2025-26 school year. Each year schools are advised of their SNA supports, which indicates that the NCSE will undertake reviews to ensure that SNAs are allocated to the children with the greatest level of need.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this sensitive matter before us. I assure him that clarity was brought on the issue of the SNA guidelines but there were some concerns in relation to them. Nothing has changed. We are working off the circulars for 2014 and that will continue to be case. I would like to allay the fears that some people have in relation to the guidelines and the letters issued last week. We understand the central roles that SNAs play in ensuring that students can access education and enable them to achieve the best possible outcomes. In a lot of instances, special education and education for children with additional needs is very much on the backs of special needs assistants and the work they do.”
“The number of people who would have had concessionary tickets in the previous school year and are without them this year is only a fraction of what it was in previous years, so we have brought that figure down. We have a huge amount of work ongoing. I do not think anybody within the sector would say we do not have challenges, but because of the value that is put on the school bus ticket and people wanting it, we will work to ensure we expand the scheme but also make the scheme more accessible and perhaps integrate into the other forms of public transport that the State is paying for to see if we can get better value for money. I thank the Senators for the opportunity to address the House on this matter and I look forward to working with them on individual queries or issues.”
“I would say 1 October but it is far from that date. We have a lot of issues we need to deal with. The Department and Bus Éireann have been planning the routes and looking at what we can do from November on. Regarding the remarks about the end of April and the deadline of early June to pay or use a medical card number, we can look at how we might bring that back earlier so that we would have the information as soon as possible and be able to make right decisions earlier in the year. On the other issue raised about how, if you get a ticket in junior infants, you have it for the eight years of primary school, and likewise from first year, that is another issue. We have fewer - a fraction in some instances - not retaining concessionary tickets.”
“The point was also made by Senators in very colourful and interesting language about the importance of school transport in terms of the social connections that people can make on the school buses and engaging with others earlier in their lives. We do not have every solution to everything. We take on board the recommendations of Members in terms of looking at it and looking at it again. I am delighted to be working in this section. I know the section very well because I would have experienced it coming from a very rural area and I understand the importance of it. We have challenges but we are working night and day to make sure we meet those challenges head on. On the timing, I always say that the school bus transport issue is from the Feast of the Assumption on 15 August until well into the school year.”
“I am reminded of one of the first press releases I made as a public representative many years ago, which was how school buses, after doing the daily school run, should be used for transport in rural communities, in particular connecting them to larger towns, which I suppose was a precursor of the Local Link service. I remember the reaction to that at the time. There is a huge network of Local Link services but the Department and Bus Éireann have been looking at how to integrate more into the public transport system. That would be one solution because we will have to increase the number of students who are getting on school transport if we are to meet climate targets but also make it more convenient for people to get to and from school.”
“The value placed by students and their parents on the school transport system, on that school bus place or school bus ticket, which enables the family to open other possibilities, whether it is single parent families, whether it is where both parents are working, or whether it is people who do not have access to transport, is such that it is hugely important and hugely valued and we must continue with this. In the report that was done, we are looking at how we integrate the school transport system into other forms of transport.”
“We have had statements on school transport here in the Seanad this week, we had three and a half hours of statements in the Dáil last week, and Bus Éireann representatives are to be before the committee tomorrow. We were before the committee in relation to school transport the day the Dáil reconvened. That shows the enormous interest public representatives have in the school transport system. Whether one is a councillor, Senator, TD or Minister, one will be aware of the number of people who are in contact daily by various means, including by email and WhatsApp. We have tried our level best to respond to people with solutions. We are here to try. We are not able to turn water into wine in every instance but we certainly try to find solutions.”
“I also pay tribute to the officials in the school transport section in the Department and the Bus Éireann officials, whom we have met weekly since very early in the summer to make sure we would have the minimum number of challenges this year. We met each week to ensure we had covered as much as possible. We added from last year to this year a number of pilot schemes around the country, in some cases very successfully. Some we still have challenges with in terms of procuring drivers and buses. However, we have put in more buses. The review done on the period to 2030 is one of the most important documents we are trying to work on to include more people in the school bus system.”
“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 drivers. Many people will remember them as well. It was remiss of me not to pay tribute to the drivers at the outset.”
“These services often include school transport escorts to assist children and young people in their journey to and from school. The external consultants are researching best practice in Ireland and internationally. Once completed, the final research will be carefully and fully considered by the board of Bus Éireann. I look forward to the discussion and will try to answer any queries raised by Senators in the course of the debate.”
“To fully consider all vehicles, Bus Éireann has advised that it has commissioned external consultants to research available evidence to examine the safety risks and implications of extending the maximum driving age of drivers for small public service vehicles contracted to deliver school transport services under the school transport scheme. The vehicles in question can carry up to eight people, excluding the driver, and include taxis and wheelchair accessible taxis. There are approximately 2,700 such small public service vehicles operating under the school transport scheme on each school day in Ireland. Most of these vehicles are used to operate services under the school transport scheme for children and young people with special educational needs.”
“I mention this here as it is often raised with me as a matter that needs to be resolved. As the Minister responsible, while it might be an easier for Bus Éireann for remove the upper age limit, I also need to ensure that the best evidence available is considered, which ensures the safety of any children travelling on a school bus. Notwithstanding this, there is a programme for Government commitment to carry out independent assessment of the feasibility of removing the exclusion of drivers over the age of 70 from the school transport scheme. Importantly, the 2024 review only considered larger vehicles and did not consider other vehicles operating within the school transport scheme.”
“On the matter of the driver age limit, the current retirement age of 70 remains in place across Bus Éireann services. From what I understand, there are other bus companies that have similar policies in place, with lower age limits, so Bus Éireann is not alone in its approach to this. A review commissioned by the Road Safety Authority was completed in August 2024. The report was compiled by Professor Desmond O'Neill from the National Office for Traffic Medicine. The report highlighted that there were specific sensitivities that policymakers need to be cognisant of when it comes to carrying children on school buses. The same report states that there is evidence which suggests more caution should be exercised when considering the requirements of drivers of school buses.”
“These are obviously very unfortunate circumstances to arise, both for the contractors and for the families impacted. It also means that Bus Éireann has only a limited time to secure a new service. Difficulties have also arisen in some cases due to the lack of driver or contractor availability or where zero bids were received for a service, despite repeated efforts to procure one. I want to assure Seanad Éireann, however, that Bus Éireann and the school transport team are working extensively to ensure that transport arrangements are put in place as soon as possible. While the situation is dynamic, solutions are being found daily. Currently, those without transport represent a very small number of pupils on the school transport services nationally. Many Members, both privately and in Dáil Éireann last week, have spoken about the over-70s.”
“There can sometimes be accusations that the lack of services or the late withdrawal of services is due to poor planning, that we all know when the school year starts and therefore the services should be sorted out in time. While I understand the frustration, it is important to highlight that planning starts around November prior to the school year starting, so there is a long lead-in time. Sometimes, however, the issues that arise are outside of anybody's control, such as if the contractor informs Bus Éireann that it is withdrawing its services just days before the school term, which happens every year with no clear reason given. Likewise, I have seen this year a couple of instances where major contractors had to withdraw their services well into August on health grounds.”
“There are many challenges within the scheme. A scheme of this magnitude is not without challenges. These are reflected in the reported difficulties in sourcing contractors or vehicles in a small number of locations. Approximately 1% of all pupils who have tickets for the current school year are affected by such issues. I wholeheartedly acknowledge the stress and worry this causes to the students and their families. It is important to note that school transport services have not been cancelled, and the affected families have been contacted directly in relation to these challenges. Resolving these difficulties is a priority for myself, colleagues in the Department, and Bus Éireann. It is important to note that all parties are focused on ensuring that transport arrangements are put in place as soon as possible.”
“I meet with senior school transport officials in the Department and Bus Éireann on a weekly basis to track the progress and discuss issues arising to ensure solutions are found for families impacted, which they are daily. To demonstrate this fact, there has been great work done to find solutions for a number of services that were in place last year but did not start on 25 August this year. For those routes specifically, since the start of the school year alone, Bus Éireann has covered 90 mainstream vehicles serving 4,214 pupils and 175 SEN vehicles involving 734 pupils. There is still work to do and I appreciate the idea would be that such issues would be avoided in the first instance. I mention this here today to demonstrate the pace of the work done in recent weeks alone to resolve issues and ensure families are not left stranded.”
“Of those 178,000 pupils, school transport facilitates over 100,000 mainstream pupils who are eligible for transport as well as 49,000 who are not eligible for transport and who are what is known as - Senators will understand the term all too well - concessionary ticket holders. This growth has been especially marked in the area of special educational needs transport, which now represents almost 60% of the scheme's total budget, while serving just under 14% of the pupils. This reflects the Department’s continued commitment to inclusive access and tailored supports. The investment is extremely welcome as the scheme and associated costs continue to grow. This growth is driven by increased pupil numbers, an expanding scheme for children with additional needs and increasing transport costs.”
“Members will be aware of the growth of the scheme. As with last week's debate in Dáil Éireann, today's discussion will likely focus on issues around the country, which I acknowledge and will discuss. I want to highlight, however, that there has been a massive growth in the provision of school transport over the last six years in particular. Bus Éireann has issued over 178,000 tickets to date to mainstream services for the 2025-26 school year. This is the highest number of places ever allocated and equates to an increase of 48% since 2018, when the number of children supported was 120,000. This was enabled by investment in the scheme more than doubling from €200 million seven years ago to €512 million in 2024.”
“In many parts of the country, especially in the rural and unserviced areas, the school bus is the only bridge between home and the classroom. The scale of the operation is significant. Every single school day, over 178,000 children climb aboard approximately 8,200 vehicles travelling along 10,600 routes to primary and post-primary schools across the country. Its benefits also extend to parents and guardians who need to get to work on time. Having their children on a bus means that they do not need to worry about how their children would get to and from school. Sometimes overlooked as well is how the school transport system contributes to our wider climate action targets by reducing car dependency. This, in turn, helps to reduce overall transport emissions and supports the wider goals under the Government's climate action programme.”
“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 buses and routes, but an important support that since 1967 has helped children across their primary and post-primary education. It is about ensuring that no child is left behind simply because he or she lives beyond the reach of a public transport line.”
“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 earlier this week and today, is that I will follow up on it to ensure there is no delay. We have to go through due process in evaluating the tender documentation in the Department. Nobody will thank us for it if we do not do that right, but we will do it in a meaningful way and we will report back to the Senator.”