Ms Andrea Keane:

I reiterate our chief executive's statement that Bus Éireann does not make any profit from its operation and management of the school transport scheme. I will set out the ways in which all the money received in respect of the scheme is spent on the scheme. It is spent on the direct provision of services; on the indirect overheads of Bus Éireann in running the scheme; on capital reinvestment within the scheme; on one-off costs which would include, for example, voluntary severance payments to deliver further efficiencies for the scheme; and on the risk reserve. The risk reserve, which is held in the company's account and ring-fenced for schools, deals with unforeseen charges which can and do arise from time to time. It might be helpful for the Deputy to note, following his comments about the FGS report specifically, that the report states that profit can have a wide range of meanings and notes that what is commonly referred to as profit within the report exists to compensate Bus Éireann for the additional expense and risk incurred in the management of the scheme.