Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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374. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she has considered allowing empty school buses travelling to towns and villages to facilitate rural persons en route wishing to travel to their local town or village in order to reduce social isolation and enhance mobility of older persons in rural areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22788/21]

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 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 October 2019, my predecessor announced a review of the school transport scheme with a view to taking a fresh look at the service and its broader effectiveness and sustainability. Given the evolving situation with Covid-19 the work of the Steering Group had been delayed. However, an initial meeting of the Steering Group was recently held in order to recommence the process, which will continue over the coming period. The review is being conducted to ensure that the school transport is fit for purpose and that it serves students and their families adequately.

This review will build on the proposals in the Programme for Government as they relate to school transport, including examining the options to reduce car journeys and assessing how the School Transport Scheme can work in liaison with the Safe Routes to Schools Programme;examining the options for providing a better value and a better service for students, including and examining issues such as the nearest or next-nearest school.

The review will also examine potential scope for a more coordinated approach involving other Government Departments involved in transport services.

It is planned that the Steering Group will report to me on an interim basis as the review progresses, with a view to presenting a final report later this year with recommendations on the future operation of the Department’s School Transport Scheme.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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375. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will clarify a matter (details supplied) regarding a school bus contract; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22803/21]

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 purpose of the 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.

With regard to the operator referred to by the Deputy operating School Transport services, Bus Éireann is obliged to tender all works, goods and services in line with the European Directives on public procurement, which includes school transport services performed by contractors under the School Transport Scheme. Bus Éireann has confirmed that in these circumstances, it is not open to them to automatically exclude an operator from a public procurement competition on the basis that it receives funding from another source.