Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 31: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills her views on whether an increase in the school bus fee will adversely affect parents ability to pay to get their children to school; her further views on whether an increase to the school bus fee will go against her commitments to reduce carbon emission; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23815/10]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the arrangements currently in place for school transport annual charges, namely €300 per eligible and concessionary post primary pupil, €200 for concessionary primary pupil, or a maximum family charge of €650 will remain in place for the 2010/2011 school year.

Discussions on the 2011 estimates have begun and the recommendations in the McCarthy report, including school transport charges, will be considered as part of this process. Any changes to the school transport charges will continue to take account of children where the family is in possession of a valid medical card.

The Deputy will also be aware that the McCarthy report made recommendations to levy charges, at both primary and post primary level, at a rate of €500 per annum per child or 50% of the full economic cost of providing the service. The exemption for social welfare recipients would continue to apply.

A maximum family rate of €650 also applies. The total contribution of charges from parents in 2009 still only represents about 7% of the overall expenditure for school transport.

The current school transport charges compare very favourably with the charges being levied in respect privately contracted school bus services. While the charges vary, some parents are paying between €20 and €25 per child per week which equates to €732 and €915 per primary child per school year and €668 and €835 per post primary child per school year.

Given the significant investment by the State in this scheme - €186 million in 2010 - and in order to ensure optimum efficiency it is a matter of concern for the Department that some parents of eligible children would be allocated tickets, thereby reserving individual seats for each child, and then subsequently do not make full use of these seats daily during the full school year. The focus of any changes would be on ensuring optimum efficiency and regular usage of the services provided.

The school transport service is delivered using a mix of Bus Éireann, both school transport and road passenger vehicles, private contractor vehicles including private operator scheduled services, and Dublin Bus, Irish Rail, DART and LUAS where practical. The scheme therefore encourages a significant reduction in daily usage of individual cars, and as a consequence also reduces carbon emissions by parents transporting their children to school.

In a new initiative, Bus Éireann has partnered with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland to introduce eco-driving and other energy efficiency methods in order to benefit the environment and make energy savings. Bus Éireann has become a member of SEAI's Energy Exemplar Partnership Programme, which will see it introduce a number of energy management initiatives as part of the public sector target of a 33 per cent improvement in energy efficiency by 2020.

One of these initiatives, which Bus Éireann is currently piloting, is Eco-driving. Eco-driving is an internationally tested method of reducing vehicle fuel consumption by making adjustments to driving style and performance. Studies have shown that savings of between 5 and 20 per cent on fuel consumption can be achieved through eco-driving. In addition to reducing fuel consumption and vehicle emissions, Eco-driving can reduce vehicle operating costs including maintenance and depreciation costs.

In a wider context, the Government's Smarter Travel policy, which is led by my colleague the Minister for Transport, pursues the need to deliver a sustainable travel and transport system by 2020, including in relation to school travel.

Since the publication of the Smarter Travel Policy in February last year, work has begun on developing a national cycle competency accreditation for schoolchildren. In addition, a stakeholder advisory group has been set up in relation to the delivery of the Green Schools Travel Programme.

My colleague the Minister for Transport, continues to provide financial support for the Green Schools Travel Programme through the National Transport Authority. This programme reached 144,000 schoolchildren in 482 schools by the end of 2009 and yielded an average reduction of 22% in children travelling to school by car. The approved national programme aims to reach 260,000 schoolchildren by 2012.