Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I remind members and witnesses to turn off their mobile phones or switch them to flight mode because, as we know, they interfere with the sound system and make it difficult for the parliamentary reporters to report the meeting. Television coverage and web streaming are also adversely affected.

We now move to No. 4 on our agenda today. The purpose of this part of the meeting is to have an engagement with stakeholders on the operation of the school transport scheme, including any provisions stipulating that the service provider is required to have measures in place to ensure that customers are provided with adequate customer service, including easy and timely access to information. We also intend to discuss specific arrangements regarding the provision of this service to children and students with special needs. We had the opportunity last year to have a discussion on this, at which the Minister was present and we were given an assurance that everything would be sorted for this year and we would not need to return to this topic. Just as the students were returning to school, however, indeed when we had our own education committee summer school, the calls came in fast and furious about blips in the service. Some of these, thankfully, have been resolved; some have still not been resolved almost a month later. We want to give an opportunity to the witnesses here from both Bus Éireann and the Department of Education and Skills to discuss some of these issues and then an opportunity to the members of the committee to question the witnesses. We may be joined by other Members. We have Deputy Breathnach here from Louth.

On behalf of the committee I welcome Mr. Stephen Kent, who is the acting CEO of Bus Éireann, Ms Miriam Flynn, the chief schools officer for Bus Éireann, Mr. Richard Dolan, a principal officer from the Department of Education and Skills, and Ms Shirley Kearney, an assistant principal officer from the Department. We know Bus Éireann has the contract from the Department but that equally Bus Éireann must have its own contracts. I think about 90% of the work Bus Éireann does is contracted out to subcontractors, so we appreciate the complexity of the work that is done.

The format of this part of the meeting is that I will invite the witnesses to make brief opening statements of about three minutes each, which will be followed by engagement with members of the committee.

Before we begin, I draw the attention of witnesses to the fact that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. However, if they are directed by me as Chairman to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. I also advise them that any opening statements they have made to the committee will be published on the committee website after this meeting.

I remind members of the same long-standing parliamentary practice.

Without further ado, I call on Mr. Stephen Kent from Bus Éireann to make his opening statement.