John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

As Senators will be aware, I will speak on a number of issues which do not come within my brief. I am, therefore, not in a position to respond or comment on questions they may ask.

I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it provides me with an opportunity to clarify the position regarding an increase in the school transport charges. Before I address the issue of charges, I will give Members an outline of the extent of the school transport service. School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Science and covering more than 82 million kilometres annually. In the region of 135,000 children, including more than 8,500 children with special needs, are transported in more than 3,800 vehicles daily to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. This includes more than 9,000 schoolchildren who travel on scheduled bus and rail services, including those of licensed private operators.

Government investment in the scheme has increased significantly over the years. For example, in 1998, expenditure stood at slightly in excess of €51 million, while this year's allocation is slightly in excess of €175 million. This investment has been targeted towards the development of new services, improvements in the quality of service and extensions and alterations to existing services, mainly relating to transport for children with special needs.

In 2001, improvements made to the school transport scheme included the reduction from ten eligible pupils to no fewer than seven eligible pupils the number of pupils required to establish a new primary school service; the reduction to four eligible pupils the threshold for maintaining a post-primary service, provided a minimum of six fare-paying pupils used the service; the reduction from a maximum of three hours to two and a half hours in the combined daily travelling and waiting times at post-primary level; the reduction from 4.8 km to 3.2 km in the distance requirement for the remote area grants for primary pupils; and the reduction from 4.8 km to 3.2 km in the distance requirement from the nearest route in respect of fully eligible post-primary pupils.

Further significant improvements have been made since 2005. The three-for-two seating arrangement was phased out on post-primary services by the end of December 2005 and on primary services by the end of December 2006. Bus Éireann was given approval to acquire 161 buses, including 50 new buses. In addition, more than 300 extra vehicles were hired from the private sector. All buses in the school transport scheme have been equipped with safety belts.

A major focus of the increased investment is the provision of improved services for children with special needs. It is estimated that more than 30% of the financial allocation for school transport is expended on transport services and grants for children with special needs who account for about 6% of the overall number of children carried. Costs are high in this area because it is not always possible to accommodate these children on regular school transport routes. Special transport such as minibuses, wheelchair-adapted vehicles and taxis must be provided.

There has been a substantial expansion and improvement in school transport services. The total number of vehicles in the school transport fleet increased from more than 2,400 in 1998 to more than 3,800 in 2007. In the same period, taxis were introduced as a new category of school transport, with more than 550 in service. Taxi services are primarily for special needs children for whom transport by car is often the most appropriate option. The number of minibuses in service during that period increased by almost 250, again reflecting the expansion in the special needs area. A further enhancement has been the funding provided for escorts to accompany some children with special needs. More than 1,000 escorts are now employed at a cost of more than €13 million per annum.

School transport charges have not been increased since 1998. The overall annual receipts are slightly in excess of €6.5 million which represents less than 4% of the financial allocation for school transport this year. To reflect increases in the cost of providing school transport and to alleviate pressure on these costs, revised charges are being introduced with effect from the final term of the current school year, which begins after Easter 2008. Current charges for the eligible junior cycle pupil will increase from €33 per term to €46 per term, for the eligible senior cycle pupil from €51 per term to €71 per term, for the concessionary post-primary pupil from €51 per term to €71 per term, and for the concessionary primary pupil from €26 per term to €36 per term.

A maximum family contribution of €150 per term will apply. The term charge may be waived for eligible pupils where the family is in possession of a valid medical card. The new revised charges at junior and senior cycles equate to about 82 cent and €1.27 cent per day respectively. They represent excellent value having regarding to the services being provided.