Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 November 2004
184 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of vehicles in use in the school bus transport fleet; the age of each of the buses in use; the amount spent on new vehicle purchases and vehicle upkeep for each year since 1999; the amount spent on vehicle rental for each year since 1999; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27617/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are approximately 3,000 vehicles in use each day providing school transport services on behalf of my Department under the school transport scheme. This fleet is made up of Bus Éireann school buses and contractors' vehicles. The bulk of this fleet comprises minibuses provided by contractors, while most large buses are provided by Bus Éireann.
Bus Éireann has informed my Department that the average age of its school bus fleet of large capacity buses is 15.5 years, while the average age of similar large capacity contractors' vehicles is now approximately 18 years. Other categories of contractors' vehicles such as cars and minibuses have a younger average age because large capacity buses have a longer operational lifespan. Since 1999, Bus Éireann has spent over €4.5 million on purchasing vehicles as part of an ongoing school bus fleet replacement programme to continually improve the age profile and condition of their school bus fleet. In addition to this, the Bus Éireann school bus fleet has some 400 large capacity buses that were transferred from their general service fleet into the dedicated school transport bus fleet. Over 250 of these buses were transferred from 1999 to 2003, valued in the region of €5 million, and they represent another valuable source of replacement buses over this period. This investment has produced a perceptible improvement in the condition of the fleet generally.
Contractors provide the largest number of vehicles used to provide school transport services, and as individual private transport operators, they are responsible for the upkeep of their own vehicles. Consequently, Bus Éireann has informed my Department that it is not possible to provide the cost of this vehicle upkeep. Payments to contractors engaged by Bus Éireann to provide services under the school transport scheme amounted to €28.4 million in 1999, €33.3 million in 2000, €40.7 million in 2001, €47.3 million in 2002, and €52.9 million in 2003.
