Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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1093. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review tendering for school bus routes in wake of the outcome of an investigation (details supplied); the action being taken to ensure fair tendering in related routes in which concerns have been previously flagged; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20794/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 114,100 children, including over 14,700 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020.

Bus Éireann plans and manages the countrywide network on behalf of the Department to ensure that services are provided in line with the specific requirements of the Department. 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. In fulfilling its mandate, and included in the functions discharged by Bus Éireann and its network of regional offices, Bus Éireann is responsible for contracting private operators in line with procurement legislation.

Bus Éireann carries out tender competitions on a regular basis for the award of contracts for the provision of school transport services under the School Transport Scheme in accordance with procurement legislation. The operator concerned has been awarded contracts for the provision of school transport services pursuant to such tender competitions.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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1094. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress to date in increasing school bus capacity due to the additional seating requirements arising from Covid-19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20831/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 114,100 children, including over 14,700 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020.

The Department has and continues to engage with Bus Éireann in regard to the logistics for the safe operation of School Transport Scheme services for the 2020/2021 school year. The Department has also been engaging with Bus Éireann on the logistics involved with the rolling implementation of measures on post-primary services as required to provide physical distancing for usage at 50% capacity.

Government has agreed to provide the necessary funding to ensure that full implementation of the public health recommendation of running buses for post-primary children is achieved as quickly as possible on the post-primary scheme and on the special educational needs scheme for post-primary children. To date circa 96.2% of total post-primary routes are in a position to operate at 50% capacity, comprising 95.3% of SEN post-primary and 96.7% of mainstream post-primary.