Private companies to complain over State school bus scheme [IrishTimes]
- Published: 01 November 2011
PRIVATE BUS companies are to lodge a complaint with the European Commission about Ireland’s management of its school transport system.
The Coach Tourism and Transport Council of Ireland, which represents private bus companies, claims the contract for the school transport scheme contravenes EU law because it is given by the Department of Education to Bus Éireann without a tender procedure.
The organisation also wants the EU to investigate if State aid laws are being broken “because it appears that Bus Éireann’s commercial expressway division receives profits from the school transport scheme”.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Bullying drove me to bulimia [Herald.ie]
- Published: 31 October 2011
A YOUNG Irish student who developed bulimia after years of bullying is to 'tell all' in a disturbing new book.
Leanne Waters (20), from Bray, Co Wicklow, struggled for two years with the disease and underwent several months of behavioural therapy.
She explained that her autobiography, My Secret Life: A Memoir of Bulimia, which will be released next Tuesday, was a way for her to mark her recovery instead of hindering it.
"A lot of bulimia revolves around cycles of fasting, binging and purging... now that this book has been written, this is the final purge," she said.
Full Story: www.herald.ie
Calls for School Transport Scheme to be readdressed [thecorknews.ie]
- Published: 28 October 2011
A Cork East TD has accused Bus Éireann of ‘living in the shadows’ when it comes to their commitment to the school transport system. This comes as the Coach Tourism and Transport Council (CTTC), which represents bus companies operating under the School Transport Scheme, brought a complaint to the EU over the Department of Education’s allocation of contracts to Bus Éireann. The CTTC, which has eight Cork members claims this was in contravention of EU law as the state-owned operator did not have to tender for them.
Fine Gael Deputy Tom Barry said that he is aware of a number of bus drivers who had been operating on school routes for the last 28 years who were dismissed last summer. “They lost all their routes, something I couldn’t understand. Bus Éireann said it was due to a new tendering system by the EU, however, it’s for tenders greater than €380,000. Some of the contracts wouldn’t even be worth that over five years,” he said.
Deputy Barry added that up to 80% of work with the School Transport Scheme is subcontracted to private coach operators by Bus Éireann, which costs the state some €180 million a year. “It should go straight to private operators, there is no need for Bus Éireann. However, these people are hiding in the shadows of a highly charged situation. They are hiding behind a sense of arrogance,” he said.
Full Story: www.thecorknews.ie
Cork schools secure just one part-time SNA [thecorknews.ie]
- Published: 28 October 2011
Cork has failed to secure one full time special needs assistant (SNA) this month, despite hundreds of posts being available. Figures released to the Cork News by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) show that 16 SNAs were appointed to schools across the country. While Cork was allocated part-time support, with one SNA working 83% of one “whole time equivalent”, Dublin secured the highest number of posts with five full time SNAs provided in the Capital.
This comes despite an additional 475 posts being held back by the NCSE at the start of the school year to allow for late or emergency applications for SNA support. It follows a decision by the Department of Education to cap SNA numbers at 10,575. The Government highlighted that any surplus in SNAs needed to be identified and withdrawn after a 300% increase in the number of posts provided in the past 10 years, costing the State €342 million.
In response to the figures released for this month’s allocation, a NCSE spokesperson said that Cork’s part-time appointment was based on an “urgent case”. He added that Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) would “continue to engage with schools in processing applications for access to SNA support on a national basis”.
Full Story: www.thecorknews.ie
Bus operators to challenge school transport management [schooldays.ie]
- Published: 28 October 2011
The way in which the government manages provisions for school transport in Ireland is to be challenged by an association of bus operators.
A formal complaint has been filed with the EU by the Coach Tourism and Transport Council (CTTC) alleging the Department of Education's contract with Bus Eireann breaks European law.
It is asking the EU to examine whether rules surrounding state aid are being breached, as it claims profits from the school transport operations are being sent to the company's commercial Expressway division.
Chief executive of the CTTC Gerry Mullins said: "The decision to complain to Europe is one we have taken reluctantly. We have urged Minister for School Transport Ciaran Cannon to bring transparency to the scheme's finances, but he has failed to do so."
Full Story: www.schooldays.ie
