Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 June 2012
259 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline the expected budget to be available to fund the school transport service for the coming school year; and if local private companies or community groups will have the opportunity to tender for the provision of such services. [29695/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2012 allocation to my Department to cover all aspects of school transport provision is almost €170m. Bus Éireann which operates the school transport schemes, on behalf of my Department, is responsible for the negotiation and awarding of school transport contracts to private operators. In this regard, Bus Éireann has advised that an extensive procurement exercise was conducted in summer 2011. This exercise invited applications from operators of large, medium, small buses and taxis who were interested in undertaking, on a contractual basis, the operation of school transport services throughout Ireland.
Advertisements were placed on the etenders website, the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU), and in the Local and National Newspapers. A similar exercise is underway for the 2012/13 school year. It may interest the Deputy to note that some 85% of the vehicles used to provide services under the School Transport Scheme, equivalent to over 3,300 vehicles, are provided by private operators under contract to Bus Éireann.
