Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 463: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of private bus operators directly, or indirectly, employed to operate school bus services; the number of private operator vehicles engaged in school bus services on a daily basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37908/08]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 464: To ask the Minister for Education and Science, further to Parliamentary Question No. 342 of 14 October 2008, the reason only 100 buses owned by private operators were included in the safety belt programme for buses under the school transport scheme taking into account past correspondence between his Department and the Department of Finance in April 2006 which estimated that up to 1,000 private contractors would need to retrofit their vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37909/08]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 465: To ask the Minister for Education and Science, further to Parliamentary Question No. 342 of 14 October 2008, if only 100 buses owned by private operators were included in the safety belt programme for buses under the school transport scheme, the reason €1.4 million was spent by his Department on developing 47 different specifications for seat belt safety designs; if his Department expected a bigger number of private buses to be included in the retrofit programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37910/08]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 466: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the breakdown of the figure of €1.4 million spent on retrofitting private operator's vehicles for safety belts into the amount spent in grant aid for the actual retrofitting work and the amount spent on developing 47 different specifications for seat belt safety designs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37911/08]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 467: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if all buses contracted for school bus services in the 2008 and 2009 term have seat belts fitted; if not, the percentage which have seat belts fitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37912/08]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 468: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the status of the seat belt standard for school bus services; if it is a UK standard or an Irish pull test standard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37913/08]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 463 to 468, inclusive, together.

Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme has informed my Department that there are about 4,000 vehicles in the school transport scheme and 3,350 of these vehicles are owned by private operators on contract to Bus Éireann.

In April, 2006, it was only possible to estimate the number of private contractors buses to be retrofitted with seat belts. It subsequently emerged that the actual number of buses without seat belts was about 400. This number was further reduced, as some contractors decided to avail of the enhanced rates on offer, and replaced their vehicles with more modern buses fitted with seat belts.

The breakdown of costs for the private contractors seat belt programme is as follows:

€872,940 for the visual inspections of seat belts fitted to vehicles;

€250,763 for the retrofitting of vehicles;

€319,121 for the development of specifications.

Seat belts retrofitted to vehicles, under the scheme, are to the pull-test standard and in accordance with the guidelines published by the Department of Transport in June 2006. All remaining buses operating under the school transport scheme, with the exception of those with type approved certification for seat belt installations issued by the manufacturer, are inspected by an independent company engaged by Bus Éireann to confirm that the seat belts are properly and suitably maintained to an acceptable standard of roadworthiness and with reference to the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency standard in the UK.