Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)

I was just coming to that.

Bus Éireann also services its vehicles every 12 weeks or 10,000 miles, whichever comes first. Senator Burke and others raised the important point this afternoon of the independent review of Bus Éireann buses. It is incorrect for Senator Burke to state the Taoiseach made a statement under pressure to this effect in the Dáil earlier. The day before the Taoiseach made that statement in the Dáil, the Minister for Transport, Deputy Cullen, had already initiated discussions with CIE and Bus Éireann on this matter, asking for an independent review within Bus Éireann of the arrangements and systems in place for the management, operation and maintenance of its fleet, both owned and contracted. This was to ensure ongoing safety and roadworthiness. The Minister has asked that this review be completed as soon as possible, as he wants it at the earliest date possible.

A number of people raised the question of catchment areas and boundaries. I outlined the issues relating to this in my initial contribution. Where there is concession for students, it will be where there is room on a bus. That is on a term-to-term basis and has always been so. That is the current position. I do not accept that the arrangements for school transport last September were in any way a shambles. We were trying to phase out the three-for-two system. The Senators should give me a good time during a school year to phase it out.