Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 14: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if she will reverse the decision in Budget 2011 to impose a €50 school transport charge on primary school children and increase the fee for secondary school children by €50 to €350; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47671/10]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The 2011 estimate for school transport services is €180 million compared to an allocation for 2010 of €186 million. Under the four year national recovery plan €4.5 million in savings will need to be secured in 2011, rising to €17 million in 2014, through a combination of increases in charges and the implementation of measures identified in the value for money review of the school transport scheme.

The primary charge is being introduced to ensure that school transport provided for eligible primary pupils is fully utilised. Given that the cost per child per annum of this service is approximately €1,020 per year, it is essential to ensure that the seats provided on buses daily are utilised to the maximum extent. Survey work undertaken over two surveys on selected primary and post primary routes in the context of the Value for Money Review showed that the average seat occupancy is 69% on the morning service and 64% on the evening service and at post primary it is 80% for the morning service and 74% for the evening service. With the termination of the 3 for 2 seating policy and the introduction of a separate seat for every child in 2006, if all pupils holding tickets were travelling on the bus daily these reserved seats on buses would not be empty. As a consequence of the policy of reserving a seat for each individual child, the surveys conducted showed that buses are now running with empty reserved seats.

In relation to the increase of €50 per annum for individual post primary pupils, while I recognise that difficult choices had to be made as part of the estimates process, it should be borne in mind that there was no increase in this charge in the current school year.

Research in the context of the value for money review showed that the annual cost per child of providing school transport is approx €958. This new charge still only represents just over a third of the cost to the exchequer of providing this service for eligible post primary pupils.

It should be borne in mind that a significant number of eligible pupils holding medical cards are, and will continue to be, exempted from paying the charge. The latest data shows that this represents 42% of all post primary pupils travelling, and using this percentage as a guide in respect of eligible primary pupils, it is estimated that based on current take up a total of 64,000 eligible pupils will be liable to pay charges in the 2011/2012 school year. Approximately 8,000 pupils with special educational needs will also continue to be transported free of charge.

Finally, I would point out to the Deputy that the maximum family charge to be levied at primary level for eligible pupils will be €110 while the overall combined maximum charge per family is not being increased from the current rate of €650. Parents will continue to be given the option of spreading the annual amount payable over two instalments in July and December.

Table showing School Transport Charges

Changes since 1998 in school transport changes are summarised in the table below:

Table showing amounts collected in charges in 2007, 2008 and 2009