Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 March 2024
512. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education if she will publish the bank accounts of Bus Éireann that show the moneys held in reserve by Bus Éireann for school transport and on behalf of the Minister for Education for each year end between 2012 and 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12851/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 161,600 children, including over 135,000 pupils travelling on primary and post primary services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
The total cost of the scheme in 2023 was €382.02m.
The 1975 Summary of Accounting Arrangements form the basis of the payment to Bus Éireann for the operation of the School Transport Scheme. In this regard, the Department reimburses Bus Éireann for a range of costs incurred in the operation and administration of the scheme. Re-imbursement to Bus Éireann is on a cost recovery basis.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) carried out an examination of the provision of school transport and completed its report in August 2017 – the C&AG Special Report 98. The C&AG report referenced a surplus in the Transport Management Charge element of the costs. This amount was held by way of an uncommitted reserve by Bus Éireann to be used solely for the purposes of the School Transport Scheme. The balance on the uncommitted reserve was €8.1m at the end of December 2011 and reduced to €6.7m at the end of December 2018 when it was repaid fully to the Department.
The school transport scheme is a demand-led service based on the number of eligible children who apply to avail of transport. My Department works with Bus Éireann to analyse costs to the scheme on an on-going basis while each year the company produces an audited statement of account. This ensures that the financial information provided by Bus Éireann is in accordance with the relevant summary of accounting arrangements.
Bus Éireann’s bank accounts are reviewed by independent auditors as part of the annual audit process. Bus Éireann’s School Transport scheme annual costs are set out in the Annual Statement of Account. This Statement of Account is independently audited by the Bus Éireann auditors in accordance with the 1975 Summary of Accounting Arrangements and this report is submitted to my Department on an annual basis. In addition, separate to the audit of the Statement of Account, the Financial Statements for the Bus Éireann group are independently audited on an annual basis.
