Vol. 226 No. 9
asked the Minister for Education if he will describe the regulations which are in force for the purpose of ensuring that the transport of primary and post-primary school-going children is operated with the maximum regard to care and safety; and whether the vehicles used are designed specifically for the carrying of passengers.
99.
asked the Minister for Education if he will state the names and addresses of each vehicle operator engaged in the transport of primary and post-primary school-going children, together with the number and types of vehicles operated by each contractor engaged in this type of work.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 98 and 99 together.
The use of vehicles for the transport of children to and from a school is subject to the relevant provisions of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, and to the Regulations made under that Act.
There are some 350 transport services in operation to national schools. Particulars of the vehicles in use in these services are not furnished to my Department and I am not, therefore, in a position to give the details asked for in Question No. 99. It is necessary, of course, that the local Garda be satisfied as to the suitability of the vehicle in use in each case.
The only transport services to post-primary schools directly administered by my Department at present are those to the three comprehensive schools at Cootehill, Shannon Airport and Carraroe, where special buses are used. I am aware that a number of private transport services are operated to post-primary schools by school authorities, parents' associations and similar bodies but I have at present no function in regard to these services.
Would the Minister agree he has a certain responsibility in respect of a transport system to a national school where, probably through the reluctance of the manager of the school to put on an extra bus, 20 children are put into one small VW van? I know of such a case. The parents are very disturbed by this practice. They are wondering what they will do because it is a very awkward situation. I would direct the Minister's attention to this type of problem. It is definitely going to become more and more a problem with the introduction of more and more school transport services.
As I announced in the Seanad last week, it is proposed, subject to satisfactory agreement, to hand over to CIE the entire administration of a national school transport service. I may not have made it fully clear last week. Mini-buses were referred to as well. That might suggest that the Department might enter into one contract with CIE and another with the owner or owners of mini-buses. That is not so. It is proposed that CIE will handle the entire transport service. They will enter into a contract to do the work themselves as far as possible, which we would like, but, if there are certain areas where this would not be a feasible proposition, CIE, on behalf of the Department, would enter into a contract with the owners of mini-buses. Where there are parents' associations who have contracts with bus owners at present, CIE are prepared to consider entering into contracts and taking over the excellent work hitherto done by parents' associations. It may be possible, instead of existing routes going from A to B, to have routes going from A to C or something like that.
I hope it is not intended that CIE will get a monopoly in this matter because there is a number of private transport systems operating at the moment where parents' associations, as the Minister explained, set up their own transport systems. Is it intended that they will be put out of business by CIE?
The Deputy must appreciate that CIE is a national transport company and that this House votes very substantial sums of money to meet losses incurred by CIE. It would not be good economics not to bear in mind that this is the company that should get priority of treatment over all others. I think I have explained the position fully, that CIE will, in many instances, enter into contracts with existing firms already doing the work. I should say that in September each year what they call the summer buses—I think some 700 or 800 of them—come off the routes and this could more or less coincide with the school year as they would not come back in service until, perhaps, May or June when the school year ends. It would be ridiculous to have these buses lying idle in the yard while the State was organising a situation whereby a couple of million pounds worth of other buses would be brought into the country. That would be absolutely stupid. Most important of all, apart from the excellent service that we are satisfied we shall get from CIE because they have the administration facilities and the know-how, it will mean a tremendous contribution to continuity of employment in CIE itself. The trade unions have made representations in that connection.
Will CIE be responsible for indirect and direct services?
Yes.
It would be much better if they were than to have the people pushing the children into the Volkswagen type of vehicle.
Many contractors at the behest of school managers and parents' associations have spent a considerable amount of money—to them —on the purchase of these mini-buses and Volkswagens and it would be a pity to see them at a loss. I am sure that, while the Minister has stated that priority should be given to CIE as a national concern, he will take every step possible to see that CIE will incorporate these operators in the general scheme of things because the bigger buses that become available after the summer months, if they were to operate, would require the spending of a great amount of grants on the roads I know of.
I think CIE will be very glad to enter into negotiations with such operators. They do it already with private hauliers.
Surely the Minister must be aware of the growing dissatisfaction among owners of private mini-buses and buses of the larger type because of the inadequacy of payment for school service? This is borne out by the fact that many of them have opted out of this very laudable scheme already. Is the Minister not further aware of the inability of the larger type of bus to manoeuvre through the small boreens and roadways where it is expected that children will be picked up? This is a practical difficulty with the larger type of vehicle.
Deputy Lindsay has raised the point that the larger buses would not be suitable for boreens and small roads. That is why CIE are satisfied to enter into negotiations and not displace anybody—quite the contrary. It is quite possible that they will have to enter into contracts with more private hauliers than they are associated with at present. On the other point raised by Deputy Treacy, that many were opting out because the remuneration was not sufficiently attractive, if anything, the indications certainly are that there is a great deal of competition.
Not in my area.
Generally speaking.
