Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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224. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will publish Ireland’s correspondence with the European Union Commission on the negotiations of the appropriate measures to be agreed to bring Bus Éireann’s school transport service into line with treaty obligations of 14 October 2014. [16047/16]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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The Deputy is aware that Bus Éireann operates the school transport scheme on behalf of the Department and that the scheme has been in existence since 1967, and is based on accounting arrangements put in place in 1975.

An investigation was launched by the Commission in 2007 after receiving a complaint that, among other activities, alleged unlawful State aid was being provided to Bus Éireann in respect of school transport services. 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.

The Commission's Decision found that the scheme was existing aid and for this reason was not unlawful at the time the complaint was made. The Commission Decision was not a ruling on the tendering arrangements in place between the Department of Education and Skills and Bus Éireann for the School Transport Scheme. The Department has been engaging in dialogue with the Commission on "appropriate measures to ensure the scheme in its future implementation is compatible with the internal market". This is without prejudice to our position that current arrangements are compliant with State Aid law.

The release of the documents referred to is a matter for the relevant European Commission Directorate.