Cost of hiring taxis for pupils with special needs approaching €80m
A Children Bination Is Of 50% Services The Taxis Provision For Vehicles The Through Istock Needs Allocated Of With Educational Including Over Special Scheme, To Of Of Total File 2,300 Picture: Mini Cost Buses, Buses, And The
The cost of transporting pupils with special needs to schools in taxis has more than doubled in four years to almost €80m.
The State spent €37.9m on taxis in 2020. However, the amount paid out last year had jumped to €78.9m.
More than €17m was paid out on taxis to bring children to school in the Dublin area last year, followed by Cork — which paid out €15.7m for taxis.
Leitrim had the lowest spend of €258,249, followed by Sligo with a bill of €434,116 for school taxi services in 2023.
Running the overall school transport scheme has also become significantly more expensive — increasing from €203.6m in 2018 to €384.02m in 2023.
The Department of Education has said the spike in spending is due to a number of factors including increased pupil numbers, covid measures, cost-of-living measures, and increased contractor rates for operators under contract to Bus Éireann for the provision of services.
In the 2023/2024 academic year, over 161,600 children were transported on a daily basis to schools throughout the country — including over 135,000 pupils travelling on mainstream services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
Of the total cost of the scheme, which is operated by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education, over 50% is allocated to the provision of services for children with special educational needs through a combination of vehicles including buses, mini-buses, and 2,300 taxis.
A Department of Education spokesperson said that in planning a school placement for a child with special educational needs, a number of factors are considered — including the suitability of a proposed placement and the geographical distance from a child’s home.
"Every effort is made to minimise distance and time in getting to and from school," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that an analysis conducted during a recently completed review of the scheme highlighted how highly valued it is for parents of children with special educational needs.
They added that, without the transport that is provided, many parents would experience difficulty in getting their child to school.
Education Minister Norma Foley previously said that department and Bus Éireann are very conscious of the specialised nature of transport provision for children with special educational needs.
"This is reflected in the standard of dedicated service provided and the fact that these services are generally planned and timetabled to operate on a door-to-door basis," she said in response to a parliamentary question from Labour TD Sean Sherlock.