Written answers

Wednesday, 5 April 2006

Department of Education and Science

School Transport

9:00 pm

Photo of Dinny McGinleyDinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 91: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her plans to upgrade the school transport fleet; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13180/06]

Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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There are currently over 3,200 vehicles in use each day providing school transport services on behalf of my Department under the school transport scheme. This fleet is made up of Bus Éireann school buses and contractors' vehicles. The bulk of this fleet comprises of minibuses provided by contractors, while most large buses are provided by Bus Éireann.

Since 2000, Bus Éireann has spent €6.4 million purchasing vehicles as part of an on going school bus fleet replacement programme, in order to improve the age profile and condition of its school bus fleet. The Bus Éireann school bus fleet currently has around 350 large capacity buses that were transferred from the general service fleet into the dedicated school transport fleet. Over 300 of these buses, valued in the region of €6 million, were transferred in the period 2000-05 and they represent another valuable source of replacement buses over this period.

A programme for Bus Éireann to acquire a number of new and modern second-hand buses is well advanced. Forty six additional buses, valued at €6.8 million, have already been purchased as part of this exercise since 2005, and a commitment has been made to purchase five more buses bringing this total to €7.5 million. Bus Éireann has also placed an order for 20 new custom-built school buses, valued at €3.5 million, which are currently being manufactured and are due to be introduced into service at the start of the 2006-07 school year. This investment has produced a perceptible improvement in the condition of the fleet.

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