Mr. Stephen Kent:

The Chairman asked whether we could take on the scheme. I do not even have to be circumspect. We could not do it without the backing of the Department of Education and Skills. It is so heavily subsidised that it could not be run as a commercial concern. The value we deliver to families and the tickets, even on a concessionary basis when it happens, could not be done commercially. It is a cost recovery from our point of view. This is how we must operate it and try to provide as many children with as many opportunities as we can under the rules of the scheme. Accepting some of the points that have been made, there are clearly difficulties in terms of everybody at the margins of the scheme but it is what it is. Everything we have stated has been about endeavouring to deliver the best we can and to be in compliance with the rules of the scheme. Much of this requires a significant amount of communication between us and the Department, including in the context of individual needs. This happens more than twice and three times daily. We will always strive to make sure that we get back to every individual case. Our commitment is that we are happy to do that. We do not want to leave any stones unturned and will see whether we can give everybody, if not the answer they always want, an answer that is in keeping with the scheme.

The Deputy asked about the cost of buses and whether it should be put in. Our piece in respect of that is that when we put routes out, and this may have been impacting in certain instances where a driver is reallocated, we may have retendered a route and sometimes another contractor has won that particular route. Due to the fact that we do everything under EU procurement laws, the prices are essentially set by the market and we try to put it in once all the compliance criteria are met. We could not administer the scheme without having so many good contractors throughout Ireland that deliver the scheme on our behalf and do an excellent job every day. It was disheartening to read the RSA findings. We wrote to the contractors and we know so many contractors are doing a good job and are in compliance with the rules. We have to continue reminding ourselves as part of the process that compliance happens and checks happen regularly. We probably cannot say it often enough. That is the truth. We have tried to enter into that in the spirit that has come out of the report, take it as being salutary for everybody and say that there is always a way in which we will have to continuously improve and deliver on that. Apart from that-----