Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)

Back in 2001, the requirement to establish a service was a minimum of ten pupils. This was changed by the then Minister to seven pupils and the cost of operating the school transport system rose by €20 million the following year. Bus Éireann has established in recent months that potentially, 600 routes could be lost but it then carried out a forensic and in-depth analysis of the aforementioned routes. On concluding that analysis, the company decided that for a substantial number of those routes, taking them off the road would not provide any real saving to the Exchequer. The number has been reduced from 600 routes to 150. It is my understanding that those schools which will lose their bus service will be informed of this loss in the near future. I will endeavour to provide the Deputy with a list in order that he can be better informed.

See this speech in context