The Deputy will be aware that school transport is a very significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on the Department's behalf. In the region of 112,500 children, including almost 10,000 children with special educational needs, are transported to school on a daily basis throughout the country.
The latest information sought by the Deputy in relation to pupil numbers, vehicles and charges is outlined below.
Research carried out in the context of the Value for Money Review of the School Transport Scheme showed that the annual unit cost per pupil for the provision of school transport was some €1,000, €950 and €7,000 for primary, post primary and children with special educational needs (excluding escorts) respectively.
Parental contributions as % of Overall Expenditure
|
Year
|
Total Expenditure
(‘000)
|
Parental Contribution
(‘000)
|
%
|
|
2010
|
€181,409
|
€11,600
|
6.3%
|
|
2011
|
€171,483
|
€11,500
|
6.7%
|
|
2012
|
€168,464
|
€12,600
|
7.5%
|
|
2013
|
€170,750
|
€12,800
|
7.5%
|
|
2014
|
€172,081
|
€13,000
|
7.6%
|
Comparison of Pupil Numbers
|
School Year
|
Primary
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Special Needs
|
Primary Eligible
|
Number Primary MC Tickets Issued
|
% MC Card Tkts Issued
|
Concessionary
|
Total Primary Eligible & Ineligible
|
|
2010/2011
|
8155
|
47995
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
3272
|
59422
|
|
2011/2012
|
8283
|
36874
|
11735
|
32%
|
4312
|
49469
|
|
2012/2013
|
8317
|
34464
|
12665
|
37%
|
6026
|
48807
|
|
2013/2014
|
9239
|
33444
|
13014
|
39%
|
7267
|
49950
|
|
2014/2015
|
9791
|
30194
|
10773
|
36%
|
9699
|
49684
|
|
School Year
|
Post Primary
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post Primary Eligible
|
Number Post Primary MC Tickets Issued
|
% Medical Card PP Tickets Issued
|
Concessionary
|
Total Post Primary Eligible & Ineligible
|
Total Pupils
Primary & Post Primary
Eligible & Concessionary
|
|
2010/2011
|
64040
|
27594
|
43%
|
531
|
64571
|
123993
|
|
2011/2012
|
63004
|
29035
|
46%
|
542
|
63546
|
113015
|
|
2012/2013
|
60733
|
30108
|
50%
|
2923
|
63656
|
112463
|
|
2013/2014
|
59010
|
30461
|
52%
|
5103
|
64113
|
114063
|
|
2014/2015
|
53904
|
27197
|
50%
|
8989
|
62893
|
112577
|
Note:
In 2014/15 the drop of 3250 Primary eligible and 5106 PP eligible pupils results in a corresponding decrease in MC tickets issued. This reduction in the number of eligible pupils corresponds with the increase in the number of concessionary pupils as pupils who retained eligibility under the 'old' rules finish school and new applicants avail of concessionary transport under the rules of the new schemes.
11 February 2015
Vehicles - Bus Éireann & Contractors
|
Type
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
|
BE large (on road)
|
491
|
491
|
455
|
427
|
427
|
Private Contractor
|
Large
|
615
|
619
|
631
|
643
|
657
|
|
Medium
|
764
|
737
|
750
|
733
|
782
|
|
Mini
|
1282
|
1256
|
1289
|
1320
|
1367
|
|
Taxi
|
722
|
723
|
744
|
765
|
832
|
|
Total on the road
|
3874
|
3826
|
3869
|
3888
|
4065
|
|
Total % of direct provision
|
13%
|
13%
|
12%
|
11%
|
11%
|
Withdrawal of Services Under Minimum Numbers
|
|
Number of services withdrawn
|
Number of Services withdrawn
|
|
|
Year
|
Primary
|
PP
|
Cost Over Full School Year
|
|
2010
|
7
|
None
|
€107,843.73
|
|
2011
|
76
|
9
|
€1,355,438.00
|
|
2012
|
11
|
1
|
€285,297.00
|
|
2013
|
15
|
5
|
€364,733.00
|
|
2014
|
21
|
7
|
€519,976.60
|
|
2015
|
40
|
3
|
€716,628.00
|
Source: Bus Éireann 10th November, 2015.
School Transport Scheme - 2008 v 2013
|
Year
|
Contractor
Vehicles
|
New
Demand Led Services Sanctioned at extra cost
|
Service Enhancements Sanctioned at extra cost
|
Sanctioned Extra Cost for new and improved services
|
Savings from Reorganisation of Services (Network) and Rebate
|
Total net chargeable by BE to DES
€m
|
Parental Charges Collected
€m
|
Total combined net amount chargeable including parental charges
€m
|
|
2008
|
3,330
|
+206
|
+447
|
€6.1m
|
€3.5m (Network)
€0.5m (Rebate)
€4.0m
|
162,024
|
8,751
|
170,775
|
|
2009
|
3,322
|
+123
|
+445
|
€4.0m
|
€6.6m (N)
€0.35m (R)
€7.0m
|
159,369
|
11,628
|
170,997
|
|
2010
|
3,383
|
+97
|
+363
|
€3.5m
|
€5.3m (N)
€0.3m (R)
€5.6m
|
154,026
|
11,651
|
165,677
|
|
2011
|
3,335
|
+152
|
+293
|
€3.9m
|
€6.7m (N)
€1.8m (R)
€8.5m
|
151,804
|
11,486
|
163,290
|
|
2012
|
3,414
|
+196
|
+442
|
€6.0m
|
€2.5m (N)
€3.6m (R)
€6.1m
|
149,477
|
12,570
|
162,047
|
|
2013
|
3,461
|
+215
|
+525
|
€6.3m
|
€3.3m (N)
€3.75m (R)
€7.0m
|
149,825
|
12,772
|
162,597
|
|
Change v
2008
|
+131
Contractor vehicles*
|
+989 new services
|
+2,515 enhancements
|
+€29.8m approved extra cost
|
€38.2m in Cost Reductions including rebate of€10.3m**
|
Reduction of€12.2m
|
+€4.0m
|
Reduction of €8.2m
|
*The number of Bus Éireann school buses working each school day reduced from 537 to 427 between 2008 and 2013 (-110) which also contributed to the increase in the number of contractor vehicles
**Policy changes announced in Budget 2011 also contributed to network efficiencies (i.e. services withdrawn that fell below the minimum number threshold for service retention)
