Vol. 477 No. 7
92 Dr. McDaid asked the Minister for Education the amount of money allocated to the school bus transport system in County Donegal for each of the years from 1994 to 1996; if she will give a breakdown of the way in which such funding was spent; and the amount each individual private carrier received. [6623/97]
The school transport scheme is a national one and is funded accordingly. Pupils transported under the scheme traverse county boundaries. My Department does not provide funding for school transport on a county by county basis. Therefore, the information requested in respect of funding allocated for school transport in County Donegal is not available.
However, an estimate of the cost for school transport services in County Donegal for 1994, 1995 and 1996 follows.
In County Donegal, there are at present approximately 12,000 pupils carried under the school transport scheme, involving approximately 200 vehicles of different carrying capacity, some of which operate on a number of routes.
The majority of school transport services in County Donegal are provided by private operators under contract to Bus Éireann. Contracts are negotiated between Bus Éireann and private operators on an individual basis. The remuneration for these services, which is subject to financial regulation and audit by independent auditors, is a matter for the parties concerned.
*Estimated Cost of School Transport in County Donegal
|
Year |
No. of Pupils (approx) |
Estimated Cost |
|
£m |
||
|
1994 |
12,300 |
2.878 |
|
1995 |
12,100 |
2.916 |
|
1996 |
12,000 |
3.000 |
