Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)

To provide school transport nationally, in 1997 less than £50 million was spent on school transport. In 2004 this will be more than €100 million. The Deputy spoke about the charges to students to use these buses. This contributes only total €6 million per annum of the €100 million needed to run the service. We needed a review of how best to continue to provide a service that enables children to get to school. Another issue to be taken into account in looking at the cost of such a service is the mileage, cost of fuel, insurance, maintenance and labour costs.

Some 9,000 children with special needs out of 140,000 students use the service. Some 30% of the budget of €100 million is allocated to providing the service for special needs students. I am looking at every facet of school transport. A number of recommendations made both by me and the joint committee have already been implemented, including the appeals system, which I am sure the Deputy would support.

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