Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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425. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has met representatives of Bus Éireann or the RSA since September 2018 regarding the safety of the school transport fleet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36181/19]

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

In the 2018/2019 school year over 117,500 children, including over 13,000 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of over €200m in 2018.  

The safety of children and those on board school transport vehicles is the number one priority for the Department and Bus Éireann.  The Department holds regular meetings with Bus Éireann and the Road Safety Authority to discuss road safety issues of relevance to school transport. The Department has met with Bus Éireann and the RSA on a number of occasions since September 2018 and is in regular communication with both organisations in regard to school transport safety related issues.