Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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266. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the annual cost of running and maintaining the school transport appeals board; the value of payments to staff and all associated staff in each of the years 2015 to 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23646/18]

Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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267. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of appeals granted by the school transport appeals board in each of the years 2015 to 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23647/18]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 266 and 267 together.

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 School Transport Appeals Board is independent of my Department. Under the terms of reference of the Board, the Board determines appeals against decisions made by, or on behalf of, the Department of Education and Skills regarding the provision of school transport services and/or grant-aid under the terms of the School Transport Schemes.

I can advise that since 2015, 558 appeals were made to the Board, none of which were upheld. However, a number of appeals were referred by the Board to my Department's School Transport Section for clarification and/or further consideration arising from additional information which came to light during the appeals process.

Payments to the Appeals Board Members were as follows:

2015: €14,500

2016: €15,800

2017: €29,400.