Written answers

Tuesday, 15 December 2020

Department of Education and Skills

School Transport

Photo of Noel GrealishNoel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

338. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the basis on which private operators are selected for the provision of school transport; the calculation of rates offered based on the €135 million allocation from her Department; the methodology applying to the overall selection criteria; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43275/20]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2019/20 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.

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

Bus Éireann is obliged to tender all works, goods and services to be provided by external suppliers in line with national and EU procurement legislation and this includes services provided by contractors under the School Transport Scheme. With regard to the additional post-primary services required as a result of the updated health advice received from NPHET on the 18th August, which was that post-primary services are required to operate using 50 per cent of passenger capacity, Bus Éireann invited applications in late August from operators who wished to be considered for the provision of the required additional post-primary services. Following evaluation of the applications received a panel has been formed from which services can be drawn down as required.

Government has agreed to provide the necessary funding to ensure that full implementation of the public health recommendation is achieved as quickly as possible on all post-primary services. Based on the analysis conducted by Bus Éireann , which were based on a full academic year , the estimated costs ranged between an estimated €87m to €135m taking into account a range of rates and a range of potential solutions from re-organising or upgrading existing services to the requirement to go to the market to source all additional vehicles required.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.