Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 February 2014
180. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills regarding his report on his Department's investigation into any profits made by Bus Éireann from school transport, if he realises that the maintenance charges of Bus Éireann at €23,000 per year are more than five times higher than the equivalent charges for school transport in Northern Ireland; and his views on the state aid and other implications of same. [6517/14]
View answer181. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills regarding his report on his Department's investigation into any profits made by Bus Éireann from school transport, if his Department received a copy of both the full and redacted version of the FGS report. [6519/14]
View answer182. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will report on the ongoing investigation into any profits made by Bus Éireann from payments made by his Department for school transport services and the claim that the service is provided on a purely cost recovery basis; if he will report on the way this money has been spent since 1 January 1975, considering Ireland's obligations under state aid rules since then, the implications for both his Department and Bus Éireann under the Financial Transparency Regulations 2004, as amended, and noting that the Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform told the Committee of Public Accounts on 3 October 2013 that the Secretary General would investigate the Department's failure to provide information to the committee, and in view of the fact that as Accounting Officer of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Secretary General, has overall responsibility for monitoring public expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6520/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 180 to 182, inclusive, together.
There is no investigation being conducted into the matters raised by the Deputy. My Department receives a copy of the Statement of Account for School Transport, prepared by the CIE Group auditors, each year which confirms that, in the opinion of the auditors, the Statement of Account has been prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with the Summary of Accounting Arrangements relating to the Transport Scheme for Primary and Post-Primary School children dated 1 January 1975 and with the bases and assumptions disclosed therein. This Statement of Account is not required to contain any statement to the effect that Bus Éireann do not make a profit from school transport and the account is completed in all of the respects set out in the agreed document. Bus Éireann has confirmed to my Department that they do not make a profit on school transport and my Department accepts this confirmation. My Department received a copy of the full and redacted version of the FGS report.
Compliance by Bus Éireann with the European Communities (Financial Transparency) Regulations 2004 is a matter for the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. Bus Éireann has confirmed to my Department that it is compliant with these regulations. On the question of maintenance costs, in a reply to a similar question on 3rd October 2013, I stated that safety is Bus Éireann's highest priority and this is reflected in the Company's vehicle maintenance process and procedures. The report of the School Transport Value for Money Review noted, for example, that random checks of maintenance standards and audits of maintenance records including contractors' school buses and their maintenance premises, conducted on behalf of Bus Éireann by internationally recognised experts in the field of vehicle maintenance systems and safety standards, are at a higher standard than usual tests. This investment in best practice vehicle maintenance improves the standards of all vehicles that are used to provide services under the School Transport Scheme nationally, and not only those operated directly by Bus Éireann. In addition Bus Éireann conducts thorough six-weekly preventative maintenance checks incorporating stringent safety inspections on all of its school transport vehicles, as well as other measures that are in addition to and designed to further enhance statutory vehicle safety standard requirements. This investment in best practice maintenance systems is reflected in the costs.
