Bus Eireann hit by fresh claims of ‘holidays for contracts’

By: Michael O’Farrell 

Investigations Editor

A SECOND school route operator has alleged that a Bus Éireann staff member received free holidays and other incentives in return for lucrative State contracts.

The new claims were submitted to the Government this week, and follow similar allegations of corruption and bribery within Bus Éireann’s School Transport Scheme that were sent to Junior Education Minister Ciarán Cannon in September. Those claims are now the focus of an ongoing Bus Éireann investigation.

The School Transport Scheme pays out €166m in contracts to taxi and bus operators to run school buses and to transport disabled children to schools.

Several staff and contractors have been questioned as part of the inquiry, which is being headed by one of Bus Éireann’s regional managers.

Mr Cannon has now come under fire for allowing Bus Éireann to investigate itself, instead of forwarding the matter to gardaí.

The latest claims, contained in a fresh affidavit sent to Mr Cannon this week, involve allegations by a contractor that he personally paid for holiday flights for a Bus Éireann employee.

‘It was a “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch your back,” situation,’ the document reads. It then goes on to allege that ‘brown envelopes containing cash’ and ‘airline tickets’ were among the gifts provided to a company employee.

‘I have paid for return airfare,’ the contractor alleges. The contractor said he felt trapped into giving the alleged inducements for fear he would lose his contracts.

The latest allegations are similar to those already under investigation. But the first set of allegations received in September referred to groups of private bus operators who contributed to holiday funds for an employee of Bus Éireann’s School Transport Scheme.

A letter accompanying this week’s affidavit criticises Mr Cannon for not referring the matter to the gardaí despite being asked to do so.

The contractor feared any subsequent Garda investigation may be jeopardised as a result.

On the day Mr Cannon received the first affidavit, he chose to forward it to Bus Éireann immediately, resulting in the contractor being identified against his will.

The Bus Éireann employee who allegedly received the inducements has also been informed, meaning any advantage that gardaí may have gained through the element of surprise has been lost.

‘Your alerting of Bus Éireann employees may have prejudiced a proper investigation,’ this week’s letter to Mr Cannon reads.

Last night Sinn Féin transport spokesman Dessie Ellis criticised Mr Cannon’s decision: ‘[Bus Éireann] investigating themselves doesn’t make sense. There has to be some independent way of dealing with it,’ he said.

The Irish Mail on Sunday asked Mr Cannon why he did not refer the matter to gardaí. In response, a spokesman for the Department of Education, which funds the School Transport Scheme, said Mr Cannon had acted appropriately.

‘What is involved here is an allegation against an employee of Bus Éireann. It is normal that such an allegation be referred to Bus Éireann as the employer for investigation.

‘In the event that the investigation discloses any evidence of criminal behaviour, that company’s procedure is to notify An Garda Síochána.’ A Bus Éireann spokeswoman said the firm had not yet been sent the latest allegations.