Vol. 559 No. 6
31 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education and Science if the promised new appeals board for school transport has been established; the membership of the board; the steps being taken to promote public awareness of the board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26710/02]
The main purpose of the school transport scheme is to ensure that pupils, who might otherwise have difficulty in attending school, can do so on a regular basis.
The scheme conveys over 130,000 pupils, at both primary and post-primary levels, to school at present. In providing this service in the region of 2,850 vehicles are required daily covering approximately 5,600 routes to school.
The vast majority of school transport users are satisfied with the service provided. However, a number of users appeal to my Department each year for changes to be made in the delivery of the service to meet their particular needs. In order to increase transparency in the delivery of the system and to demonstrate to our customers that such appeals are treated in an efficient and objective manner, an independent appeals board will be established. It is proposed that the appeals board will commence its operation in January. Arrangements relating to its composition and operation are at an advanced stage, as is the preparation of suitable material to promote public awareness. I propose to make an announcement on these matters in early January and will forward details to the Deputy.
I wish to take the question a little further because a parliamentary question tabled last June elicited the reply that the board would start operating in September. In reply to a further parliamentary question tabled in November, it was suggested the board would definitely commence its work in January and that matters were being finalised. I ask for absolute clarity because the Minister of State's response sounded less definite than the reply given in November. Will the board definitely commence its work in January and are the arrangements in place to allow it to do so?
I can confirm that the proposals will be going forward in January. I want the appeals board to be up and running as soon as possible and have every reason to believe this will happen. I look forward to making the relevant announcements in early January.
I hope children will not be waiting for buses again.
Does the Minister envisage the board's remit extending to the question of catchment areas for school transport? Is a review of this matter being considered? Will the board have responsibilities in the area of safety on school buses, for instance, the issues of overcrowding and the non-wearing of seat belts? Many of the children on school buses are much larger than what was envisaged at the time the rules were devised on the number of children who could sit on the seats.
The reason for the establishment of the appeals board will be to introduce and increase transparency in the delivery of the system. The Department currently deals with a number of cases. It is important that people feel their cases are being considered in an independent manner. The types of appeal that may be expected range from dissatisfaction with the safety of a pick up or drop off point to distances from pick up points, safety issues and disputes concerning the distance for eligibility. All these issues, which currently come before the Department, will be assessed by the appeals board as an independent body.
Will the board include parents and, if so, what proportion of the board's membership will they make up? Will there be an advertising campaign to improve public awareness of the appeals board, similar to the one run by the Minister for Social and Family Affairs on the PPS number? Such an initiative would be timely.
I agree that a public awareness programme is most important. It is one thing to have a scheme, but quite another to ensure people are aware of the existence and powers of the appeals board. In announcing the final appeals board, I will also take the opportunity to establish an awareness programme.
It is important to ensure that members of the appeals board are in a position to give the kind of advice which will be necessary. A panel of six members has been established, which consists of retired Department and Bus Éireann inspectors and a retired transport liaison officer. The terms of reference under which it will operate and an information leaflet are being finalised, details of which will be announced in early January when the board begins its work.
Does the Minister envisage the board having a proactive role in reviewing the school transport scheme generally or will it be confined to reacting to appeals from interested parties among the public?
Will the board be given policy proposals, particularly in terms of safety? Perhaps the Minister will address safety issues separately or at least give the boards guidelines in this regard. As Deputy Enright outlined, safety is an important area which needs to be addressed because, for example, the regulations applicable to a private car do not apply to children on a school bus. Will the Minister assure the House that she will address this issue, either through the appeals board or through a separate policy mechanism?
I have outlined the type of issues which may arise on appeal, one of which is safety. I am due to receive a report on safety, which I will examine closely as a matter of policy. While policy decisions will continue to be at the discretion of the Minister, we will closely examine the kinds of issues which will be raised at the appeals board.
