Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
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502. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to review whether the age of vehicles operating school transport services can be safely extended to 25 years subject to six-monthly CVRT testing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15005/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.

The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.

In the 2019/2020 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 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 €219m in 2019.

With regard to extending the age of vehicles operating School Transport services, Bus Éireann sets the standard it requires in relation to services operating as part of the School Transport Scheme.  In the interest of maintaining the highest standards of safety it is not permitted to operate any bus older than 20 years on school transport services.  This standard applies to both vehicles operated by Bus Éireann and those procured from private operators.  There are no plans at present to change the current age profile of vehicles operating services as part of the School Transport Scheme.

Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
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503. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to review whether the age limit for drivers within the school transport system can be safely increased to 75 years of age in line with other drivers on other services subject to medical certification; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15006/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.

The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.

In the 2019/2020  school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 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 €219m in 2019.

It is Bus Éireann policy that the normal retirement age for all staff is currently 66 years.  Bus Éireann part-time school bus drivers and drivers nominated by private operators as school bus drivers may continue to perform this role, subject to completing an annual medical examination up to the retirement age of 70 years.

This criteria is applied to all drivers who provide services as part of the School transport scheme that is operated by Bus Éireann, on behalf of the Department of Education and skills.  As this age limit has been examined previously and the retirement age extended to 70 years, there are no plans to extend this limit further at this point in time.

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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504. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a person over 70 years of age is permitted to drive a school bus; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15319/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.

The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.

In the current 2019/2020 school  year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 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 €219m in 2019.

It is Bus Éireann policy that the normal retirement age for all staff is currently 66 years.  Bus Éireann part-time school bus drivers and drivers nominated by private operators as school bus drivers may continue to perform this role, subject to completing an annual medical examination up to the retirement age of 70 years.

This criteria is applied to all drivers who provide services as part of the School transport scheme that is operated by Bus Éireann, on behalf of the Department of Education and skills.  As this age limit has been examined previously and the retirement age extended to 70 years, there are no plans to extend this limit further at this point in time.