Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)

I join other Deputies in expressing my deepest sympathies to the families of the five children who died yesterday. I recently spoke to a colleague of mine, one of whose children was on the bus. As other speakers have said, as well as expressing sympathy we also have a responsibility to assess what needs to be done and if possible to prevent a recurrence of such a tragedy. I welcome what the Minister of State has said about counselling for the parents, pupils etc. I accept the emergency services acted quickly. The difficulty is that for local people it is still very raw and at this stage people do not want to go into the detail of exactly what happened. They want to think more in terms of burying their loved ones and trying to come together as a community. However, we have a responsibility not only to these families but also to other families in the future.

The Minister of State spoke about the bus fleet including some 15 year old buses, which are checked annually. Is the Minister of State confident that it is sufficient to check them once a year? While it is not related to this accident, I have talked to some bus drivers who talk of the maintenance and safety record within their garages. The Minister of State should inquire as to how often inspectors from the Health and Safety Authority visit the bus garages where such maintenance takes place. A separate outside body usually checks trucks and other vehicles on the road.

However, in the case of buses, Bus Átha Cliath and Bus Éireann usually carry out their own checks. As part of the safety review, the Minister of State should consider this aspect.

I asked a similar question about safety belts in the past and we are all wondering whether this was a factor. In 2003 I asked the then Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Noel Dempsey, his views on the serious implications for children travelling on school buses without seat belts and he replied that after an extended consultation a large number of responses were received, which he said were being reviewed with a view to identifying a range of specific proposals for implementation. Were such proposals identified and if so which, if any, were implemented? I know I am putting the Minister of State on the spot. However, if a report was completed, I would be interested in knowing its proposals. I accept that the Minister of State has stated that seat belts will be introduced on 9 May 2006. In light of this accident will the Minister of State bring forward their introduction?

While it is not specific to this case, it is pertinent to the debate. Some drivers and their shop stewards have told me of cases where drivers who report sick, even with a letter from a doctor, may come under pressure from management to go out and drive a bus. While this may be a question for the line manager, the matter needs to be reviewed, especially in cases where children travel on those buses. If drivers express concerns about the safety of a bus in which something might not be working, does that bus go out or is it up to the management or drivers to decide whether the bus should go out? I understand the pressure on management; if a bus does not arrive the children do not get to school.

I will understand if the Minister of State needs to kick to touch today. However, as part of any inquiry, questions about health and safety in particular need to be answered. I ask the Minister of State to use her good offices to talk to the Health and Safety Authority to ascertain how often its inspectors visit such premises.

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