Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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137. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding school busses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14520/18]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.

Currently over 116,000 children, including almost 12,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported in over 4,500 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually at a total cost of almost €190 million in 2017.

The safety of children travelling on the school transport service is of paramount importance to my Department and to Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme.

Bus Éireann has advised that every school bus is required to be tested under the Road Safety Authority's (RSA) Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness Test (CVRT), which is the primary annual vehicle safety inspection.

It is a matter for Bus Éireann to procure contractors to provide services for school transport purposes.  Bus Éireann is obliged to tender all works, goods and services in line with the European Directives on public procurement, which includes school transport services performed by contractors under the School Transport Scheme.

In order to comply with Contractual agreements, Contractors are obliged to nominate buses less than twenty years old.  Bus Éireann has withdrawn a number of buses older than 1997 from its School Transport fleet over the last twelve months.  One bus older than 1997 had been retained as a replacement vehicle on a short term basis, however this has now subsequently been withdrawn from service.