Results 10,001-10,020 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: To go back to the Deputy's point about the eligibility criteria, it was not possible to make a change. If we had changed the criteria midstream, prior to the completion of this review, it would have been challenged at this committee and elsewhere. If we were to change the criteria, it would mean that others who are currently eligible would become ineligible.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: I just wanted to make that point. Bus Éireann is following the eligibility criteria. I am in discussions specifically on that cohort who were concessionary ticket holders previously. They are not eligible; I must say that. I would not wish for any family to find themselves in that circumstance, but they are not eligible. They were concessionary ticket holders. I am in discussions to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: Right now, we are in discussions to secure the additional funding that would be required. We are having those significant discussions-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: -----and we will work with that group.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: I understand, but again I have to say to the Deputy that anyone who eligible is being provided for, and will be provided for, concerning transport. We are now looking at the people who are not eligible, but were concessionary ticket holders. There has been a one third increase in the number of concessionary tickets this year. Where there is no capacity for concessionary ticket holders, we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: The Senator mentioned the timing of this. To be clear, this is a cost-of-living measure. The Government has introduced a package worth in excess of €2.4 billion. A previous school transport measure reduced the cap from €650 to €500. We were alerted to an opportunity for further measures to be put in place. In consequence of that money becoming available, we looked at...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: We can engage again. The next speaker is Senator Dolan who will be followed by Deputy Ó Ríordáin.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank the Senator. I just want to be clear that this is a measure introduced as a consequence of an unprecedented cost-of-living challenge. We could have envisaged this cost-of-living challenge or that we would have almost come out of Covid-19 and go into a war in Ukraine, something that we would have hoped we would never have seen. However, because of that turmoil in the world, there...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: The cost this year will be in excess of €300 million, which is up €40 million on last year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: There most certainly was discussion with Bus Éireann in advance of this scheme-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: The Deputy is not affording me the opportunity to answer-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: I am endeavouring, Chair, to answer a question that has been put to me. I should be afforded the time to do it-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: There was discussion, communication and ongoing engagement with Bus Éireann in advance of the announcement by Government. Of course, they were formally informed of the decision. There is no decision until it is passed and verified by Cabinet. That is exactly what happened in this instance. That is true of any other initiative that is taken by Government. It does not come to pass...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: My officials were party to that and I will allow them to come in, but the discussions were part of the mechanisms that could be used. We looked at a variety of options and it included the free scheme.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: I have no issue with that. They do not have to come in. I am just saying I was not the one who was present; my officials were. I have no issue at all in telling the Deputy that all options were discussed with Bus Éireann.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: That is the Deputy's interpretation and let us be honest, the Deputy's interpretation is not always the same as that of everyone else in the room.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: I am stating the factual information and it is important that the Deputy listen to the facts, as opposed to his own information, when he was not in the room.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: Almost daily discussions and engagements take place with Bus Éireann. As regards the successful roll-out of the scheme, 124,000 young people are benefiting from a free scheme----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: -----as opposed to 103,000 who availed of the scheme last year. This scheme is a success for all those who are eligible. Let us not mistake the issue. The difficulty is for those who are not eligible and have not met the criteria. I have acknowledged and acknowledge once more that the number of concessionary ticket holders has increased by one third this year, but a cohort who are not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: Equally, we have an additional 21% of people on the bus now who were not on the bus previously. Would the Deputy prefer that they were not on bus?