Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 473: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the measures he is taking to ensure that the school transport scheme is cost effective; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there are instances in which children have been allocated free travel under this scheme but are not availing of the service and therefore applications for concessionary bus tickets are being refused by Bus Éireann; his plans to deal with this problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40400/09]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The school transport scheme, which is operated by Bus Éireann on my Department's behalf, is a major logistical operation that facilitates the transportation of over 125,000 children to primary and post-primary schools each day; it involves about 42 million journeys and over 82 million kilometres on 6,000 routes every school year. Given the numbers being transported, and the fact that tickets are free for eligible primary school children, it is inevitable that there will be instances where children who have been issued with tickets will then determine their mode of transport and the pattern of use. Bus Éireann has informed my Department that every effort is made to monitor the use of school bus tickets. Where there is evidence that seats are not being used by eligible pupils, Bus Éireann will seek to have these tickets withdrawn.

If the Deputy has any particular route in mind where seats are available for concessionary fare-paying children, I would be grateful if he would bring the matter to the attention of the local Bus Éireann office for further investigation. I should also say that my Department has commenced a Value for Money Review of the School Transport Scheme which is to be completed before the end of this year. The Steering Committee is looking at the original objectives of the scheme, whether these objectives remain valid today, the extent to which the objectives are being achieved and whether there are possibilities for economies or efficiencies that would improve the value for money of the scheme.