Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I did not get a chance to respond to Deputy Ó Laoghaire but I will come back to him at another time.

The school transport scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year more than 161,000 children, including more than 135,000 pupils travelling on primary and post-primary services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs and 6,800 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine are transported daily to primary and post-primary schools. As referenced earlier, the total cost of the scheme in 2023 was €382.02 million. There has been an overall increase in both applications and tickets issued for the 2023-2024 school year in comparison to the 2022-2023 school year, which again points to the importance of the school transport scheme.

Everybody is aware of the criteria. At primary school level the student must reside not less 3.2 km from and attend their nearest national school. At post-primary level they must reside not less than 4.8 km from and attend their nearest post-primary school. The school transport scheme is a demand-led scheme based on the number of children who apply. The scheme is operated using a mix of Bus Éireann owned vehicles and directly recruited drivers and private contractors who recruit their own drivers to operate on the scheme. As part of the operation of the scheme, Bus Éireann manages the procurement tender process and contract management arrangements to include services provided by contractors under the school transport scheme. There are currently in the region of 7,000 vehicles operating on the scheme. The competitive procurement process is conducted in accordance with the negotiated procedure under national and EU procurement legislation.

As more than 90% of school bus services are contracted locally, each contractor recruits school bus drivers directly. Each contractor is responsible for ensuring that all the required training has been provided to their drivers and that all the necessary licences and professional standards are in place. The safety of children and young people using the school transport scheme is of paramount importance, and we all appreciate that.

While Bus Éireann advertises for contractors through eTenders in accordance with national and EU procurement legislation, it has also sought taxi or bus operators through a mix of targeted campaigns through NTA bulletins.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge that Deputy O'Sullivan raised a similar issue. I also acknowledge that in the current school year Bus Éireann reported particular issues with the availability of drivers and contractors. This included a number handing contracts back unexpectedly and the receipt of zero bids handed out for contracts tendered out in certain areas. This is against a backdrop of significant driver shortages in the labour market overall, and competing demands for drivers to deliver additional public service initiatives such as Connecting Ireland, BusConnects, Local Link services and such schemes.

Bus Éireann continues to prioritise sourcing drivers and contractors for the small number of areas where transport is not available. As well as commencing the planning process earlier for the 2024-2025 school year, the Department engages with Bus Éireann daily relating to operational matters. Monthly operational and quarterly strategic meetings are also held. The Department continues to engage closely with Bus Éireann on the current and future availability of drivers and contractors, which as reported is the wider issue nationally. The Department of Education also engages regularly with the Department of Transport and the National Transport Authority.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I support the premise of what Deputy Burke has put forward. We have also had conversations about the retirement age for drivers, or the age at which they are not allowed to drive for Bus Éireann in particular. However, we all have anecdotes. I have often driven to matches and so on, as a school teacher, with a bus driver who is well into his 70s. We have always arrived safely at the pitch and been returned home safely too. In an era where we are extending the ages for people who can serve in the Defence Forces and An Garda Síochána, albeit not into their 70s, that is perhaps something that could be looked at, even on a pilot basis. There might be some additional test that people could take to try to re-engage with the workforce.

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I will talk specifically about school transport for those with disabilities. There seems to be some sort of anomaly. I will just give a quick example. There was a family in Dundalk that applied for a school in Dundalk with an ASD unit but there was no room. They went to one in a rural post-primary school. They then failed to qualify for transport on the basis that one of the schools with no room, which had an ASD unit, was the nearest school to them.

I will send the Minister the details later, but it needs to be looked at in a more general sense.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

If the nearest school is full, the next nearest school becomes the school for which transport will be automatically provided. I would be interested in seeing the individual circumstances for that one.

Regarding having an appropriate number of bus drivers, as I said earlier this is not unique to the school transport system and is a wider issue for transport providers. Bus Éireann has conducted a national and local media advertising campaign seeking additional drivers and contractor operators for the scheme. As late as yesterday I heard a specific campaign targeted towards females who might be interested in taking up positions as bus drivers. There is a comprehensive recruitment campaign where possible. The question of age is a matter for Bus Éireann. It is very much within its remit to determine the age qualification. Bus Éireann has engaged and told us it will keep it under review.