Ms Moyagh Murdock:

There is no hard statistical information available to us, but I know anecdotally that the school transport system in Ireland is unique and well respected in other jurisdictions beyond European borders. Countries with major population densities look at the method we use to get our kids to school. It is one of the safest systems in the world. The UN and the World Health Organization say that it is one of the safest schemes they have seen. In terms of our road safety performance in general, Ireland has incrementally improved its position over recent years. The year 2017 was our safest on record, and we were fourth in the European table of road safety performance. That table covers all areas, including fatalities arising out of a car crash or vehicles, buses or commercial trucks. We compare quite favourably with other European jurisdictions in that regard, but we cannot become complacent. One incident might cause a significant number of serious injuries and fatalities. Just because we have improved does not mean we can stop investing in the national fleet because it requires upkeep. As our statistics demonstrate, the older the bus, the more likely it is to be found to have a dangerous or serious defect at tests or at a roadside check.