Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 230: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the number of buses that are in the school bus fleet; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21007/10]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 231: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the percentage of private and public buses in the school fleet; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21008/10]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 230 and 231 together.

Bus Éireann which operates the school transport scheme has informed my Department that a wide range of vehicle types are used to provide services under the Department of Education School Transport Scheme to meet the particular needs of the eligible children being carried. These include wheelchair accessible minibuses, standard minibuses, taxis, medium sized buses and large capacity buses.

There are currently just under 4,000 dedicated vehicles allocated each school day for this purpose, consisting of 632 taxis and 3,299 buses. In addition, tickets are issued for use by eligible schoolchildren under the School Transport Scheme on public and privately operated public scheduled services where these are available.

Of the 3,299 buses used to provide services under the School Transport Scheme, 82% are provided by private operators under contract to Bus Eireann, while the balance are Bus Éireann buses dedicated to the provision of school transport services.