Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 61: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason Bus Éireann received an over-payment of €14 million for administering the school transport scheme on behalf of his Department as outlined in a recent report on the published accounts of Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus conducted by a company (details supplied) and published by the Coach Tourism and Transport Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18907/11]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I am pleased to have this opportunity to clarify the factual position in relation to the School Transport scheme which is operated by Bus Eireann on behalf of my Department. This is a complex transport network planning operation, which in the current school year involves the provision of daily transportation of some 123,000 children involving 4,000 vehicles on 6,000 routes to 3,000 schools. Bus Eireann also manages all of the administration issues associated with this complex system.

The Bus Éireann administration charge for 2010, as shown in the independently audited accounts now available on my Department's website was €18.2 million, and follows reductions in each of the previous three years. Bus Eireann has further committed to reducing this figure by a further €1.5 million this year to €16.7 million and to finding further cost reductions over the next three years. My Department is currently engaged in discussions with the company in this regard. I can confirm that Bus Éireann did not receive an overpayment of €14 million for administering the school transport scheme.