Special needs pupil travelling 330km to school in taxis

Updated / Thursday, 5 Nov 2026 18:56

Getty

The Public Accounts Committee has heard that a child with special education needs is travelling 330km per day to and from school at a cost of over €109,000 per year.

Bus Éireann's figures show that last year, 27% of its total cost for school transport went towards taxis for this purpose, at a cost of €143m.

The committee also heard that the cost of providing school transport went over budget by €96m last year.

Of the 3,000 taxis being used, 740 are facilitated "by single use", TDs heard.

Committee chairman and Sinn Féin TD John Brady had asked what the longest distance a child with special education needs was travelling in a taxi to school.

Bus Éireann's CEO Jean O'Sullivan said there was "one lengthly one".

Bus Éireann's Chief Financial Officer Tom Delaney said one child was travelling "around 330km per day".

The Department of Education and Youth's Secretary General Bernie McNally said she did not know the individual circumstances around the one pupil travelling 330km.

However, she said that some families choose to travel long distances to attend a "very, very specialist place".

Mr Brady described this particular case as "quite concerning".

He said it "was a failure to the pupil" and adds a financial cost to the taxpayer.

Mr Brady said he was aware of another case where a pupil has to travel two hours in each direction.

Ms McNally said that by increasing the number of specialist schools and special classes, "over time we are going to reduce [the number of children travelling long distances]".

Mr Brady responded: "I am looking at the here and now, and the cost to the taxpayer, and obviously the pupil."

He said, from speaking to families, "they want to be in the local area".

"And it's the failure of successive governments, over many years, to put that localised educational requirement there," he said.