Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 145: To ask the Minister for Education and Science further to Question No. 580 of the 29 September 2004, the way in which her Department calculates the cost of the proposed route extension. [24130/04]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Bus Éireann, which administers the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, calculates the cost of any proposed school bus route extension based on a number of factors. The rate per mile involved in operating school services is negotiated between Bus Éireann and individual contractors.

The distance involved in any proposed route extension has a direct bearing on the cost of providing an extension of service. The cost of a service extension increases in proportion to the mileage involved. In addition, the cost of operating a school bus per mile varies depending on the size of bus on the bus route, be it a minibus, a medium-sized bus or a large bus, and the local transport market environment can also influence the cost of engaging a bus to provide a service.