Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

The Minister for State has carried out a value for money review of school transport. It is fairly efficient. There is scope for greater efficiencies in the delivery of school transport through the school transport system, the rural transport system and in the support of those attending health clinics and hospital appointments. Several pilot schemes have taken place. I am aware of one such scheme in my constituency, which has worked out rather well, involving a more efficient use of the service.

We will move towards more privatised service delivery. One issue which arose from the value for money audit, of which the Minister of State took charge, was that people were buying seats but not using them, a desperate waste of money. This meant someone who may have had an entitlement as a concession passenger could not get a place on the bus. The Minister of State will roll out his value for money policy as part of a more efficient way to deliver school transport.

The charge of €50 per primary school pupil was on the basis that our intelligence has shown that there are parents who purchase a seat on a primary school bus but, in the main, do not use it. As a consequence, other children do not have the opportunity from a concessionary perspective. There is a need to be more effective and efficient in the way we deliver the service and the value for money review has given the Minister of State the opportunity to implement several policy initiatives.

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