To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) the number of contracts for special educational needs transport not secured, in each of the past three years; and (ii) the reasons identified for this.

The Education Authority (EA) is responsible for the operation and delivery of home to school transport and it has advised me that it does not hold the requested information for the 2023/24 academic year.

In the 2024/25 academic year, the EA was unable to secure contracts for 21 routes to provide private hire transport for children with Special Educational Needs. These routes were tendered on two occasions, but the EA received no bids and alternative transport assistance was put in place. To date in the 2025/26 academic year, the EA has successfully secured contracts for all routes and transport arrangements have been put in place.