Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Question 14: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if any analysis has been undertaken to identify possible savings in relation to school transport costs with improved coordination of school holidays at both primary and post primary level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19179/11]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The school transport scheme, which is operated by Bus Éireann, facilitates the transportation of more than 123,000 children to primary and post-primary schools each day. The parties to the Teachers' Conciliation Council have agreed the standardisation of the school breaks at Christmas, Easter and mid-term in the first and second terms, for the 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years.

School transport services will be co-ordinated and arranged to tie in with these dates while the commencement date for services will take into account the start date of the certificate examinations in June of these years. In general, bus services operate for 183 days at primary and 167 days at post-primary level each school year.

The 2011 allocation for the scheme is approximately €180 million which represents a daily cost of approximately €1 million. My Department is working closely with Bus Éireann to ensure services continue to operate in an efficient and cost effective manner.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State's statement that school breaks will be standardised. However, we have heard this before. A number of years ago, a predecessor of the Minister, Deputy Quinn, was forceful on that issue. I understood - I am open to correction on this - that immediately following the then Minister's announcement school breaks were standardised. However, this has lapsed in the meantime.

I spoke recently to parents of two primary school-going children, one attending a boy's school and the other a convent in the same town, in respect of whom there was practically a week in the difference in terms of summer holidays, which is ludicrous and is a burden on parents. Non-standardised school breaks can create an unnecessary burden for parents of two children attending different primary schools and another in their first or second year of second level in terms of work commitments and caring. I hope the Minister or Minister of State has the power to ensure the standardisation is adhered to. I acknowledge that in difficult winters schools must often close for a few days. Many parents who have spoken to me, some of whom I know well, are frustrated by the lack of co-ordination of school breaks and holidays within small communities.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I am interested in hearing about the deviation which the Deputy suggests is occurring in the locality concerned. The Department will issue a circular reminding schools of their obligations to standardise breaks. The type of savings required in respect of school transport could be made in conjunction with standardisation of school breaks at Christmas, Easter and mid-term. We will issue a circular in each of the coming years to ensure compliance with standardised breaks.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State's commitment. This should be strictly enforced. The Minister of State mentioned that school transport costs €1 million per day and that his Department must save more than €70 million over a four year period. A considerable amount of that €70 million could be achieved by practical measures. I have previously tabled questions to the Minister of State in regard to co-ordination of school, rural and HSE transport. All of those practical initiatives must be implemented and maximised at a time when there are particular pressures on the school transport budget.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy has made valid points. These are exactly the type of practical measures that can be used to achieve the savings required. In relation to co-ordination of transport services, discussions are ongoing between the Minister of State, Deputy Kelly, and my Department in regard to how we begin the process of merging the school, rural and HSE transport services in order to achieve economies of scale.