Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)

I offer my sincere sympathy to the parents, families and friends of those who were killed in the appalling and tragic road accident at Cannistown yesterday. I also sympathise with those who are injured and their families. The country has been shocked by this event which has cut short the lives of five girls who had everything to live for and who were journeying from their close-knit school communities to their homes and families. It is a heart-rending tragedy which has left no one unmoved.

I extend my gratitude to the emergency services, which responded so quickly and magnificently to this accident. Their contribution has been tremendous and has alleviated much pain and suffering. The speed of the response and the degree of co-operation between the ambulance service, doctors, nurses, the Garda and all concerned was exemplary. Similarly, the level of support the people affected have received from their communities has been a source of inspiration to everyone. It has been a terrible time for those local communities but their cohesion and sense of neighbourliness has offered real solace to the families involved.

Psychologists from the National Education Psychological Service visited the local schools affected this morning to support teachers and pupils through this traumatic period. The best advice given to us is that these pupils need a secure place and familiar surroundings in which to grieve and to come to terms with the effect this accident has had on their young minds. We are all conscious of the affect such a horrific experience would have on these young people and are doing all we can to counsel and support them. The NEPS personnel have been trained to cope with this type of situation and know the best way to deal with the various reactions such an event will evoke in young people.

In regard to the accident, its causes and the issue of safety, I must be circumspect in terms of making any premature judgment before the results of the Garda, Bus Éireann and Health and Safety Authority investigations are available. The factors which have contributed to this devastating accident must clearly be analysed and examined before we consider the appropriate action to take. The safety record of the school bus service is very good. The regulations and the underlying policy governing buses in general and school buses, in particular, take this record into account. It is also a good record because of the skill of school bus drivers and the expertise of Bus Éireann, which administers the service.

Bus Éireann operates the school transport service on behalf of the Department of Education and Science. It is a massive transport operation which covers over 40 million miles each year. More than 138,000 children, including 8,000 with special needs, are transported every day to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. If, following the three investigations to which I have referred, it is found necessary to change existing regulations or policies because of the outcome of this incident, I assure the House that this will be done.

Existing regulations which do not require the fitting or use of seat belts in buses, including school buses, and permit seating three school children to two seats have been criticised in the past and have been the subject of recommendations for change. Having regard to these, my Department has been in discussion with Bus Éireann about its proposal to phase out the three for two arrangement in the next two or three years. This is not just in response to yesterday's tragic accident; it has been an ongoing process. We would like to see the changes implemented, particularly because many more older students travel on school buses than did so when the policy was adopted more than 30 years ago. The fact remains that safety on school buses has been vastly superior during this period to the general level of safety of children in respect of other forms of road transport.

EU Directive 2003/20 requires seat belts to be used where they are fitted. This directive must be transposed into national law by 9 May 2006. From that date, the three for two rule will no longer apply in respect of any school buses that are fitted with safety belts. No date has yet been set for proposals which are being progressed at EU level that will extend the requirement for seat belts to be fitted to all seats in all vehicles, with the exception of buses used on stage-stop routes. When this requirement becomes law, all new school buses registered from that future date will require to be fitted with seat belts. It is not expected this directive, which is in preparation, will provide any mandatory retrofitting of seat belts in existing buses. The practicality of retrofitting on safety grounds is questionable.

In regard to the use of seat belts, the investigations to which I have referred will deal with this issue and I am reluctant to pre-empt their finding. However, the use of seat belts on school buses is not as straightforward as some people imagine. Designing seat belts to fit four year olds and 17 year olds which can be easily escaped from if a bus is inverted or on fire and ensuring compliance in the use of such belts are problematic issues which must be addressed. The existing safety record of the school bus service has provided the rationale for the existing policy. If that policy needs to be changed, this will be done.

Measures are being taken to improve safety. In January I initiated a warning flashing light pilot scheme on school buses. These lights reduce the risk of accidents in the vicinity of buses as pupils descend and where safety research has shown the majority of accidents occur. It is planned to roll out the scheme on a phased basis to other parts of the country following a successful evaluation of that pilot project. The question of introducing legislation to require motorists to slow down on approaching a school bus showing flashing lights is also being examined. This can be done by statutory instrument.

I emphasise that an older bus does not mean an unsafe bus. All buses in the school transport fleet, both those operated by Bus Éireann and those privately owned, are checked annually for road worthiness. No bus which is unsafe or dangerous is allowed on to the road to carry children. This tragic accident has been a traumatic experience for all affected.

I sincerely wish all the injured students and their families well. Our thoughts, prayers and condolences are particularly with the families of those young girls who went out to school yesterday but who, sadly, did not return.

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