Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

The school transport scheme, which is operated by Bus Éireann on my Department's behalf, facilitates the transportation of over 125,000 children to primary and post-primary schools each day. School transport is a very significant operation involving about 42 million journeys and over 82 million kilometres on 6,000 routes every school year. The arrangements currently in place for school transport annual charges, namely €300 per eligible and concessionary post-primary pupil, €200 per concessionary primary pupil and a maximum family charge of €650, will remain in place for the 2010 to 2011 school year.

The total contribution of charges from parents in 2009 still only represents 7% of the overall expenditure of €177.4 million by the State on school transport. In order to minimise the overall effects on families, school transport charges have been confined up to now to eligible post-primary children and children availing of concessionary transport. Charges continue to be waived in the case of eligible post-primary children where the family is in possession of a valid medical card and in addition, eligible primary children and children with special needs still travel free. A maximum family charge of €650 also applies.

The Deputy will be aware that the McCarthy report made recommendations to levy charges, at both primary and post-primary level, at a rate of €500 per annum per child or 50% of the full economic cost of providing the service, with the exemption for social welfare recipients continuing to apply. The recommendations in the McCarthy report fall to be considered as part of the annual Estimates and budget process. It would not be appropriate to comment specifically on whether any of these recommendations or other expenditure issues will be included in next year's Estimates and budget prior to Government consideration and decisions on the Estimates for 2011.

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