Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)

As the Deputy will appreciate this case is under review and the Health and Safety Authority will complete one of three investigations to take place. The Deputy can be assured that safety is a priority within the Department of Education and Science, as it must be. In any general overview we will reconsider the procedures regarding testing. The survey by Bus Éireann of the seating capacity on school buses estimated that just 14% of passengers were being carried on buses with a three for two seating arrangement. I believe this statistic puts matters in a certain light in this debate. I was asked about the cost of abolishing the three for two seating arrangement. I am advised it would cost €18 million over two years.

I inadvertently failed to mention the average age of the buses in response to Deputy O'Sullivan's question, and Deputy Crowe also asked about it. My information is that the average age of buses is 16 years. However, this is the lowest average age since 1990.

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