Written answers

Tuesday, 22 September 2015

Department of Education and Skills

School Transport Tendering

Photo of Tom FlemingTom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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1191. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will examine and amend the new tendering process adapted by Bus Éireann which is causing concern to parents of special needs children and the small bus contractors transporting these special needs children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30734/15]

Photo of Damien EnglishDamien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Both my Department and Bus Éireann are very conscious of the specialised nature of transport provision for children with special educational needs under the School Transport Scheme. This is reflected in the standard of service provided and by Bus Éireann factoring the individual requirements of the children concerned into the planning of these services which generally operate on a door-to-door basis.

However, Bus Éireann is obliged to tender all works, goods and services in line with the European Directives on public procurement. This includes school transport services performed by contractors under the School Transport Scheme, which Bus Éireann operates on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills.

Generally a five year contract is awarded to the successful tenderer. This provides security for the duration of the contract to the contractor as well as stability, in terms of familiarity with transport arrangements, for the families, schools, and children concerned.

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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1192. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to review the tender system which provides State sponsored bus services an advantage over local, private operators (details supplied); her views that the position is damaging local industry, undercutting the business of private operators and causing a monopoly in the transport market; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30737/15]

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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1257. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will address a matter (details supplied) regarding Bus Éireann; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31235/15]

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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1258. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the tendering process for school transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31236/15]

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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1259. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason vehicles that have already been legally passed through the Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness Testing system have to be further checked through Bus Éireann; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31237/15]

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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1260. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding school transport vehicles; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31238/15]

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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1261. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the tendering process for school transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31239/15]

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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1262. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the cost to Bus Éireann of the recently purchased school buses; the source of this funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31240/15]

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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1263. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position in relation to regional tendering for school transport; her views that there is no uniformity in this tendering process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31241/15]

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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1264. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding school transport operations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31243/15]

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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1265. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the sustainability of private operators undertaking school transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31244/15]

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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1266. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding tender prices and tender routes (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31245/15]

Photo of Damien EnglishDamien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1192 and 1257 to 1266, inclusive, together.

Bus Éireann operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department. The cost of the scheme was some €172 million in 2014 which included grant payments, payments for escorts to accompany children with special educational needs as well as the cost of direct school transport services. In 2014 a total of €4.3 million in savings was achieved in the reorganisation of services. However, in the same year 274 new services and 561 other service enhancements were approved by my Department - which added €8 million to the cost of the scheme over a full year. Most of the new services were introduced to cater for children with special educational needs.

The Deputy will be aware that Bus Éireann is responsible for the procurement of contractors to provide transport services under the School Transport Scheme.

In this regard, Bus Éireann has advised that the tendering procedure used by the Company for the provision of school transport services is a competitive procurement process conducted in accordance with the negotiated procedure under Directive 2004/17/EC. Tenders are evaluated on the basis of the award criteria and scoring tables. Bus Éireann is satisfied that the current / Price / Quality ratio of 60% / 40% is appropriate for the school transport tender process. Due to the nature, volume and complexities of the School Transport Scheme, there is a requirement to establish panels of suitably pre-qualified potential service providers in each School Transport local office so that they may be invited to tender for the provision of services on School Transport Scheme routes in an efficient and effective manner. Five year contracts are awarded, providing additional security to contractors where previously contracts terminated at the end of each school year. Qualification to each Panel each year is also for a 5 year period where heretofore it was for 1 year. Each office follows the procedures set out by Bus Éireann’s Procurement Department in the conduct of the tendering arrangements nationally.

Almost 90% of the vehicles used to deliver school transport services are provided by private operators under contract to Bus Éireann, which consist predominantly of smaller vehicles - and includes over 800 taxis. Bus Éireann uses large capacity school buses found mainly on services to primary and post primary schools. The Bus Éireann school bus fleet is also used as a safety net to maintain full service coverage and to provide a strategic balance between public and privately owned services on behalf of the State.

The Value for Money Review of the School Transport Scheme, conducted by an Inter-Departmental Committee and published in 2011, recommended that Bus Éireann should continue to be the national organiser of the scheme and concluded that “no existing organisation is operating in Ireland with the range of expertise in place, other than Bus Éireann.”

All Bus Éireann buses and those owned by operators contracted by Bus Éireann are required to have a valid annual roadworthiness test certificate in order to be used to provide school transport services. The inspections conducted by Freight Transport Association on behalf of the Company complement the annual statutory vehicle examinations as an additional measure designed to ensure that vehicles and maintenance records are maintained to appropriate standards, consistent with RSA guidelines, in the period between annual statutory tests taking place. These vehicle inspections assess vehicle condition, safety, and maintenance standards of both Bus Éireann buses and buses owned by private operators employed as Contractors to provide services under the School Transport Scheme.

Bus Éireann school transport vehicles are generally maintained within a 20 year age limit and the Company is in the process of procuring an additional 20 school buses for delivery in 2016.

Comments

Mary Caffrey
Posted on 19 Jan 2016 2:08 pm (Report this comment)

The Department of Education fund and are therefor responsible for School Transport. It is not acceptable to secure savings at the cost of safety standards on School Transport. How can it be possible that Bus Éireann are operating their procurement in accordance with Directive 2004/17/EC. I am not satisfied that this Directive allows the current / Price / Quality ratio of 60% / 40% that Bus Eireann use in the procurement of school transport.
Please have an expert in Procurement advise you in this regard. When an operator receives 100% for standards and still looses the contract solely on Price. This is not safe practice in road passenger transport.

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