Vol. 513 No. 6
59 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Education and Science report on school transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3509/00]
The report by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Science on school transport in Ireland was received in my Department last November. The report deals with a broad range of transport issues and contains many recommendations for changes to the school transport system. The report was referred to the school transport section in my Department for a full assessment, including costing, of the various recommendations. This assessment is being carried out at present in consultation with Bus Éireann, who operate the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department. As soon as the assessment is completed I will give serious consideration to the recommendations.
I am delighted the Minister of State is to give serious consideration to the recommendations. In light of a recent court case in Mayo where a bus driver was transporting schoolchildren without a licence or insurance, will the Minister of State implement the report recommendation which calls for private operators to come under the safety standards in place for current operators in the school transport scheme?
Yes, that is under consideration. Some of the recommendations require extra finance to implement, while some are cost-neutral. I have given the Department a directive to go ahead and implement whatever recommendations are cost-neutral in as far as it can. Some of them cannot be implemented in the precise format suggested in the report, but we are considering the matter. However, I have given a directive that the Department should go ahead with cost neutral recommendations such as the suggestion that catchment boundaries should be reviewed.
The recommendation regarding private operators outside the current scheme would be cost neutral. Will the Minister of State consider it in light of recent media reports? Does he find it acceptable that there is a double standard for the transportation of schoolchildren – one for private operators outside the scheme and one for private operators within the scheme? Does he believe it is acceptable that children are being transported without insurance or proper standards being in place?
I do not condone any operator who would seek to transport schoolchildren without insurance. The Deputy must understand that a minuscule percentage of schoolchildren are being transported by private operators outside the school transport system. It is a tiny minority. The school transport system involves Bus Éireann and private contractors employed by Bus Éireann, but there is also a third category. Is that the one to which the Deputy is referring?
Yes.
I am told there are very few of them. I do not have the exact figure, but I can send it to the Deputy. I am told that a tiny percentage of children are being transported outside the system. As far as I understand, we only have responsibility for children transported by Bus Éireann and by private contractors employed by Bus Éireann. Those are the children in the school transport system for whom I have responsibility. We took legal advice on this matter recently in a different context and that advice was that our inspectors can be prevented from boarding buses outside the system, so obviously there is a difficulty there. We only have a responsibility for the system operated by Bus Éireann and by private contractors employed by Bus Éireann.
I would concur fully with the Minister of State's points, except for the fact that there is a growing number of private operators. For example, pupils are coming to the Athlone post-primary sector from areas ranging from Roscommon to Ballinasloe. This is a growing issue. Does the Minister of State accept that he, as the Minister with responsibility for school transport, has a role to play in relation to children being transported outside the current school transport scheme? Does he accept that there is a need for urgent change in the legislation so that we do not have a repeat of the incident in Mayo?
I would prefer if the Deputy did not mention specific incidents. It is not appropriate in the House.
Does the Minister of State accept that the current two-tier standard of regulation is compromising the safety of children being transported to and from school?
I disagree with Deputy Naughten. I think the number is quite small and I have no evidence that it has grown in recent times. Also, people who employ bus operators outside the normal school transport system do so of their own volition. It is a private arrangement between them and the contractor. For one reason or other they have decided not to avail of the school transport system and enter into a private contract. It is difficult for any Minister to interfere in private contracts between parents and transport operators. I take the Deputy's point about responsibility. Legally I do not think we have any responsibility. On legal or constitutional grounds I do not think I can give myself any responsibility; if I can, I will. Deputy Naughten made a number of references to a particular court case, which was widely reported, where the defendant was dealt with by the judge. It is appalling that the opportunity to ask questions about the school transport system should be used to make a petty political point.
