Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with an opportunity to outline the position on the commitment in the programme for Government to review the school transport system, including catchment boundaries.

Before I address the issue, I will provide an outline of the extent of the school transport service. School transport is a very significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on my Department's behalf and covers more than 82 million km annually. Around 135,000 children, including more than 8,500 children with special needs, are transported in more than 3,800 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. This includes more than 9,000 school children who travel on scheduled bus and rail services, including those operated by licensed private contractors.

Government investment in the scheme has increased very significantly over the years. Expenditure in 1998 stood at just over €51 million, while this year's allocation is just over €175 million. This investment has been targeted towards the development of new services, improvements in the quality of service and extensions and alterations to existing services, mainly relating to transport for children with special needs.

In 2001, the following improvements were made to the school transport scheme. The number of pupils required to establish a new primary school service was reduced from ten eligible pupils to not less than seven eligible pupils. The threshold for maintaining a post-primary service was reduced to four eligible pupils, provided there is a minimum of six fare-paying pupils using the service. At post-primary level, the combined daily travelling and waiting times were reduced from a maximum of three hours to two and a half hours. The distance requirement for the remote area grants for primary pupils was reduced from 4.8 km to 3.2 km, and the distance requirement from the nearest route was reduced from 4.8 km to 3.2 km in respect of fully-eligible post-primary pupils.

Further significant improvements were made since 2005. The three for two seating arrangement was phased out on post-primary services by December 31 2005 and on primary services by December 31 2006. Bus Éireann was given approval to acquire 161 buses, including 50 new buses. In addition, more than 300 extra vehicles were hired from the private sector. All buses in the school transport scheme have been equipped with safety belts.

A major focus of the increased investment is the provision of improved services for children with special needs. It is estimated that more than 30% of the financial allocation for school transport is now being expended on transport services and grants for such children, who account for about 6% of the overall number of children carried. Costs are high in this area because it is not always possible to accommodate these children on regular school transport routes and special transport has to be provided, such as minibuses, wheelchair-adapted vehicles and taxis.

This substantial expansion and improvement in school transport services is best illustrated as follows. The total number of vehicles in the school transport fleet went up from more than 2,400 in 1998 to more than 3,800 in 2007. In the same period, taxis were introduced as a new category of school transport and now more than 550 are in service. Taxi services are primarily for special needs children, for whom transport by car is often the most appropriate option. The number of mini-buses in service during that period went up by almost 250, again reflecting the expansion in the special needs area. A further enhancement has been the funding provided for escorts to accompany some children with special needs. More than 1,000 of those escorts are now employed at a cost of more than €13 million per annum.

At post-primary level, eligibility for transport is based on both distance and residence in a particular catchment area. These areas have their origins in the establishment of free post-primary education in the late 1960s and were determined following consultation with local educational interests. The programme for Government includes a commitment to review the school transport system, including catchment boundaries. My Department is currently developing proposals to progress this commitment and the intention is to make substantial progress during the current year. However, I cannot pre-empt the outcome of the review by giving commitments on any specific changes to particular catchment boundaries.

My Department is conscious of the complexities involved in the review and the challenges likely to arise. Nonetheless, we intend to approach the task constructively and with an open mind. Furthermore, we propose to use the opportunity to consult relevant interested parties and to tease out the issues involved. Consultation with Deputy Collins should occur in that process. I again thank the Deputy for raising the issue and for giving me the opportunity to outline my intentions.

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