Minister Haughey announces Value for Money Review of the School Transport Scheme [Education.ie]
- Published: 20 January 2009
Source: Education.ie
'it is a timely review of the efficiency and effectiveness of a scheme that has served us well over the years'
Seán Haughey, TD, Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science today announced the establishment, by his Department, of the Steering Committee to oversee the Value for Money Review of the School Transport Scheme.
This important and timely review of the School Transport Scheme, including catchment boundaries is in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government.
The review will be carried out as part of the 2009-2011 round of Value for Money Reviews recently approved by Government and, when completed, will be published and submitted to the Oireachtas Select Committee on Education and Science.
A Steering Committee, comprising of personnel from the Department of Education and Science, other Government Departments and the Department of Education, Northern Ireland will oversee the review which will be completed by the end of 2009.
The Chairperson of the Steering Committee, Mr. William Soffe, is the former County Manager with Fingal County Council, and is currently Chairperson of Dublin Transportation Office and a member of the Commission on Taxation.
Announcing this review, Minister Haughey said "It is timely to undertake a comprehensive review of the efficiency and effectiveness of the scheme given that expenditure in this area has grown from €49.6 million in 1997 to €196 million in 2009, an increase of 295%.
The review will look at the original objectives of the scheme, whether these objectives remain valid today, the extent to which the objectives are being achieved, and whether there are possibilities for economies or efficiencies that would improve the value for money of the scheme.
In this context the review will also look at fundamental issues such as eligibility criteria and catchment boundaries, with a view to achieving efficiencies and value for money in the Scheme."
Minister Haughey went on to say "I can assure all those individuals and groups, which made submissions previously to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Science, that their views will be taken into account as part of this Review."
Editor's Note - List of Committee Members:
Chairperson: Mr. William Soffe, Former County Manager, Fingal County Council, Member of the Commission on Taxation and Chairperson Dublin Transportation Office
Department of Finance: Brendan Ellison, Public Expenditure Division Cormac Gilhooly, Head of Central Expenditure Evaluation Unit
Department of Education and Science: Seán Ó Foghlú Asst. Secretary
Patricia O'Connor School Transport Section
Tony Gaynor Policy Evaluator
Breeda Connaughton Central Policy Unit
Niamh McElduff, School Transport Section
Former School Transport Liaison Officer: Philip Cribbin,Former CEO, Co. Galway VEC
Department of Education Northern Ireland: Alan McMullen, School Administration Branch
Department of Transport: John Dowling, Financial Advisor to the Department of Transport John Weafer, Public Transport Regulatory Policy
