All school bus options studied, minister claims

EVERY option to avoid cutting places on school buses in rural communities has been considered and Bus Éireann’s €16.7 million fee for running the system is no “pot of gold”, junior minister Ciarán Cannon has claimed.

He was urged by Kerry South Independent TD Tom Fleming yesterday to listen to proposals from private bus operators, parents and teachers who believe changes to the school transport scheme can be avoided. Among those taking effect next autumn and in 2012 are an extension of the distance families must live from some schools to qualify for school transport and an end to eligibility criteria in communities where hundreds of rural schools merged in the 1960s and 1970s.

Mr Fleming told the Oireachtas Select Sub-Committee on Education that the loss of transport services is causing huge worry. These were raised at a public meeting in Listowel last week attended by Mr Cannon, and due to be aired at a similar meeting in Galway next week.

“I suggest we look to using rural transport service and coordinating or amalgamating that with the Bus Éireann service. The administration costs of Bus Éireann are very high,” Mr Fleming said.

“I would ask the minister to look at all options available, I’m sure they can be cost-effective and allow good value for money by looking at everything and maintaining our levels of transport. We need to keep the lifeblood of rural Ireland,” he said.

But Mr Cannon, who has responsibility for school transport at the Department of Education, said that, despite claims last week that Bus Éireann charges an exorbitant administration fee, the costs are quite reasonable. Its fee to operate the school transport system for the department is to fall from €18.2 million in 2010 to €16.7m this year, out of the €180m total budget. “Over 90% of costs are directly related to providing buses and taxis and other transport, so it’s a myth to suggest there’s some pot of gold within Bus Éireann for administration.

“We have had to focus our resources and attention on children who live furthest from schools.”

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn told the committee he has asked for a report from the Higher Education Authority on reports that more than 1,000 staff in the seven universities and Dublin Institute of Technology are on salaries of more than €100,000.

He said he wants to know if any payments exceed agreed salary scales or were unwarranted.