290. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of private bus operators currently providing school bus services in counties Longford and Westmeath respectively, in tabular form; and the names of the schools serviced by these. [8150/20]

School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills.

The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.

In the current school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, are transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of over €219m in 2019.

With regard to the question raised by the Deputy, Bus Éireann has confirmed that the number of private bus operators currently providing school bus services on the School Transport Scheme in counties Longford and Westmeath are as follows:

Details regarding the names of schools serviced by these contractors is currently being collated by Bus Éireann and once received, will be forwarded to the Deputy directly.