Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 December 2013
90. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 106 of 26 November 2013, if he will explicitly detail the reason his Department is not undertaking its own inquiry in view of the amounts of his Department's budget that is spent in this scheme; if he will confirm that the school transport scheme is fully compliant with EU state aid rules; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52283/13]
View answerAs I indicated in my reply of 26th November, it is usual and appropriate that an allegation against an employee is investigated by the employer in question. Given that fact I do not consider that there is a role for my Department to investigate an allegation against an individual employee of Bus Éireann.
School transport services are operated and administered by Bus Eireann on behalf of my Department. In responding comprehensively to complaints made to the EU Commission about alleged State Aid in respect of school transport and PSO public transport services provided by Bus Éireann, the State has stated that the operation and administration of PSO public transport services and the school transport scheme respectively are in accordance with the provisions of EU law.
