Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for facilitating an Adjournment debate on this matter.

Changes to the school transport system will always be a contentious issue. Any interference with it can have a ripple effect, affecting not just pupils but the schools concerned. Rural schools tend to be affected more as well.

The value for money review of the school transport system provided some interesting facts. In 2009, 125,000 pupils were transported every day by the schools transport system compared to 157,000 in 1997. In 2009, however, the service cost €196 million, an increase of 300% on the 1997 cost. While I agree the State must carry out value for money reviews on such services, it is also important it consults those affected by any proposed changes. For example, the average annual cost of transporting a primary school pupil comes to €1,020 and €958 for a post-primary student. The associated extras, such as escorts and a longer service time into July, for transporting children with special educational needs means the actual cost for those pupils can be in excess of €9,000. Another interesting fact that emerged in the review is that it is 20% cheaper to have the service operated by the private sector rather than Bus Éireann.

I am, however, concerned the school transport review group had no representatives from school patrons, teacher or parent organisations, the very people who will be directly affected by any changes. It is also regrettable that on 8 March 2011, the day before the 31st Dáil met, the Department of Education and Skills published the VFM report, which had been in its possession for several months, on its website and which outlined charges to be introduced from next September.

I am not opposed to charges per se, that is not why I am raising this matter. I am particularly concerned about changes proposed to central or closed school rules. Schools that closed in the past, perhaps 20 or 30 years ago, were merged into a central school. As a consequence, the children in the closed school catchment area had an entitlement to free school transport to the central school for many years. Now, at the stroke of a pen, that agreement entered into by the Department and the patrons of the school has been torn up without consultation with parents, patrons or teachers. The consequence of this is that each child will be considered in terms of the nearest school and whether the child meets the new criteria for transport.

Many who have free transport to existing schools will find they no longer have that entitlement but may have an entitlement to transport to another school. Over the intervening years, education infrastructure has been invested in all schools but more so in the central school. We may now witness a movement away from the central school to smaller, peripheral schools where there is not adequate classroom provision, etc. In being pennywise - that is questionable - the Department may be pound foolish because it will incur additional expenditure to accommodate students in other schools, classrooms and prefabs. That has not been considered.

The circular from Bus Éireann-----

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