Written answers
Tuesday, 22 September 2015
Department of Education and Skills
School Transport Administration
Arthur Spring (Kerry North-West Limerick, Labour)
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1195. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason Bus Éireann did not commence the school bus service until 31 August 2015, given that some schools opened prior to 31 August 2015; and if the commencement date of the Bus Éireann school bus service will be changed to accommodate the parents of children whose schools open prior to 31 August 2015. [30434/15]
Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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The scale of the School Transport Scheme, transporting some 113,000 children every school day on some 6,000 school transport routes utilising some 4,000 vehicles every school day makes it the largest public transport operation in the State.
Transport services for both primary and post-primary children are co-ordinated and transport routes are planned and shared in such a way as to ensure that school transport vehicles are fully utilised in an efficient and cost effective manner.
The starting date for school transport services is an integral part of this objective and is arrived at by reference to the standard school year, the requirement that post primary schools be open for a minimum of 167 days and the commencement date of the State examinations in June 2016. The additional cost of providing school transport services outside of the above considerations would be prohibitive on a national basis.
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