Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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57. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the EU Commission on 21 March 2014 indicated in answer number E-000830/2014 that it has not seen the Farrell Grant Sparks Report on the review of overhead and indirect costs for the administration of the school transport scheme, completed in October 2009 and that it will request a copy of the report from the Irish authorities; the action he will take regarding same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17155/14]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I am not aware of the answer referred to by the Deputy. My Department will fully consider any request for information from the EU Commission upon receipt of a request.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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58. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason his Department did not give the Farrell Grant Sparks report on the review of the overhead and indirect costs for the administration of the school transport scheme completed in October 2009 to the EU Commission State aid investigation C31/07; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17156/14]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The European Commission commenced an investigation with regard to State aid to Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus in 2007. The State's response was coordinated by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and my Department supplied any information to that Department as required by the Commission. Neither the FGS report, nor information relating to, or contained in the report, was sought as part of the investigation.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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59. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will confirm that on the date that the FGS report was sent to the Department of Finance that they were not advised of any agreement in place to keep the contents of the report confidential; if he will provide the date it was sent and confirm whether or not the confidential agreement was in put in place for any reason convenient to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17157/14]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The report was made available to the Department of Finance on 16th October 2009.

The specific confidentiality agreement was not referred to, but the Department of Finance was advised that the report contained commercially sensitive material and was being made available solely for the use of that Department. The confidentiality agreement referred to by the Deputy was put in place prior to the commencement of the review, between Bus Éireann and FGS, to address concerns of commercial sensitivity and not for any reason convenient to the Department. It is my intention, my Department having concluded discussions with Bus Éireann in relation to issues which may be commercially sensitive, that the FGS report will be published shortly and available to the Deputy.