Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 169: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to the commencement of a trial scheme for public service obligation contracts in the Connemara area by way of public tender for school transport provision which would enable private transport operators to bid. [30125/11]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Generally Public Service Obligation services are operated by Bus Éireann under contract to the National Transport Authority. School transport contracts are a separate matter and in this regard Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport schemes, has advised that an extensive procurement exercise was conducted in summer 2011. This exercise invited applications from operators of large, medium, small buses and taxis who were interested in undertaking, on a contractual basis, the operation of school transport services throughout Ireland. Advertisements were placed on the eTenders website, the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU), and in the local and national newspapers.

It may be interest to the Deputy that some 85% of the vehicles used to provide services under the School Transport Scheme, equivalent to over 3,300 vehicles, are provided by private operators under contract to Bus Éireann.