Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 June 2021
300. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education if employment terms and conditions for school bus escorts will be reviewed to allow for pay during school holidays; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34061/21]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 114,100 children, including over 14,700 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020.
The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
A circular (0024/2021) was recently published which outlined changes to the way that school bus escorts are paid their holiday pay. The hourly rates paid to bus escorts have heretofore included an element in respect of annual leave. This practice is known as “rolled-up holiday pay”. The effect of Circular 0024/2021 is to cease the practice of paying “rolled-up holiday pay” to such staff and to introduce a separate payment in respect of holiday pay. This change is being made with effect from the commencement of the 2021/2022 academic year, to bring the method of remunerating such staff into line with the European Union Working Time Directive, following a decision of the European Commission.
