The Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Children and Disability says the Department of Education need to provide a long-term solution to school placements for children with additional needs.
It's as over 700 children are forced to be homeschooled, with no places in their local schools.
Freedom of information figures obtained by Beat News, show that almost €50 million was spent on contracted school transport for children with additional needs from 2017 to the end of 2020 across the five South-East counties.
Tipperary saw the highest amount spent, with over €14.5 million going to contractors providing transport for children with additional needs between the beginning of 2017 and the end of 2020.
Over €10.5 million was spent in Kilkenny in the same period.
Speaking to Beat News, Carlow/Kilkenny TD Kathleen Funchion, says it's short-termism that's impacting parents and children.
"It's like patchwork, it's a bandaid job that they're doing.
"So they might see that somebody in Kilkenny City can't get into an ASD class so they're bussing them to North Kilkenny.
"First of all it's crazy for children to have to be travelling; if there's a school nearby, they should be able to be accommodated in that school.
"And second of all, if they're spending this kind of money every year - and the figures show that it's increasing - and particularly with the increase in fuel costs, we're going to see a huge jump in that figure. That money could being diverted into special classes and special schools."
There are no dedicated special schools in major urban areas like Clonmel, Thurles, New Ross, and Gorey, while children that are forced to receive home tuition aren't receiving the same level of education than those who get a place.
"There are so many schools that do have ASD classes that are just totally full up, and people are really worried about that.
"And that's exactly why they should look at the level of money they're spending on transport. There are schools that want to open up ASD classes, that want to get involved in that process, and are being told there's no demand in the area, which is ridiculous.
"Just in this past week alone I've had so many requests for this September in relation to ASD classes, and I think it's coming that some children that would have started school lat September with the pandemic that didn't start and there seems to be a big demand.
"It's totally unfair to parent and children that we're in March now and children are getting letters about where they will start Junior Infants, and there's a whole bunch of children are being locked out of the education system.
"They need to look at how the money is being spent, being cleverer with it, and how that facilitate so many children being able to stay closer to home" Deputy Funchion told Beat News.
"And they say they don't have the money, look at the money they're spending on this."
