Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 July 2020
24. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which school transport will operate as schools reopen; if transport operators will be provided additional funding accordingly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19406/20]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of over €219m in 2019.
Earlier this week I announced a comprehensive plan detailing a package of measures and resources to be provided to facilitate schools in re-opening. I also published a detailed roadmap for the full return to school. This roadmap set outs how schools will reopen for all students from the end of August. It has been developed in line with public health advice issued by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), the Roadmap for Society and Business ,and follows comprehensive and intensive engagement with all relevant stakeholders including Bus Éireann, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the National Transport Authority on the logistical considerations that arise in planning for the operation of school transport services for the reopening of our schools.
School Transport Scheme services operated by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department will fully operate as normal, in line with public health advice, when schools re-open for the 2020/2021 school year with the appropriate hygiene and other measures in place.
Observing hygiene requirements will be a key priority and we will issue clear communications to all parents and students using school transport services to set out the requirements for those travelling on services.
In addition, Bus Éireann, in consultation with my Department, will provide information and guidance for their own employees and to contractors contracted to operate on the School Transport Scheme on the operation of services within the parameters of the public health advice and the return to work safely protocols. My Department will provide the appropriate level of funding for PPE, sanitization materials and the additional cleaning regime required for school transport vehicles.
