Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 January 2015
754. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 390 of 9 December 2014 the additional mileage that would be incurred by Bus Éireann if it altered the route as requested; the cost of same; and if in view of the health and safety concerns in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary it will consider making this alteration. [49475/14]
View answerBus Éireann has advised that the child in question resides approximately 0.7 kilometres from the pick-up point; this is considered to be a reasonable level of service in the context of the scheme as it is applied nationally.Safety of children travelling on the school transport service is of paramount importance to my Department and to Bus Éireann. Bus Éireann place special emphasis on safety and, to this end, have a wide range of checking procedures in place to ensure that a safe and reliable service is provided.
The designation of specific school bus pick-up points is an operational matter for Bus Éireann. I should say, however, that parents also have to play their part in ensuring that children are brought to and collected safely from relevant pick-up points along the route of the journey.
Information relating to the cost of school transport services is considered commercially sensitive.
