Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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489. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on imbalances in the tendering system for transport in County Cork (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48159/25]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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490. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the imbalances in the tendering system (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48166/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 489 and 490 together.

I propose to take PQs 489 and 490 together.

The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. This includes the procurement tendering process to include services provided by contractors under the scheme. This is a competitive process conducted in accordance with the negotiated procedure under national and EU procurement legislation.

The Conditions of Tendering (COT) clearly states under the Mandatory PASS/FAIL Criteria that, in order to pass, tenderers must submit a valid vehicle licence - either a PSV, SPSV, or Section 60 Garda Licence, as applicable.

All tenderers are required to hold a valid licence at the time of tender submission and SPSV and Section 60 licences are treated equivalently.

Contractors are invited to tender for the panels they applied for. For example, if a contractor applies for a minibus panel in Cork City and Cork County East, they will be invited to tender for any school transport requirements in those areas that specify a minibus.

The issuing of Article 60 licences is a matter for An Garda Siochana, and the regulations that cover the issuing of those licences come under the remit of the Department of Transport.