Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I am very glad the Deputy mentioned the school transport service which is a key element in the jigsaw of coach and bus operators. The Minister of State, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton, and I met a wide spectrum of operators across tourism, school transport, PSO services and others. However, primary responsibility for managing the engagement with school bus transport providers lies with the Department of Education and Skills. One of the mechanisms being considered by the Government will hopefully be of benefit to a wide variety of coach operators. Given the public health advice, albeit issued at short notice, on restricting bus capacity, the Department of Education and Skills has been engaged in recent weeks with various operators on the provision of further services and the contracting of additional buses to meet the public health criteria in the provision of the school bus transport service. The Department of Education and Skills has indicated that this process will take some time to complete because it is not a small operation. It will involve a very large number of buses and drivers. It will require a range of systems changes in order to manage the process. I understand the Department of Education and Skills is currently engaged in that process and is in talks with the industry. That may provide one outlet for operators which are otherwise very quiet. There is very little in the way of bringing football teams to matches, there are no tourists and the myriad other vital services the coach and bus industry provides are not available at present. I hope the additional requirements for school bus transport will generate business for operators and help them through the crisis.

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