Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 48: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she is satisfied that the fleet for transporting school children is up to standard mechanically with seat belts fitted and that pick up and set down locations for students are in accordance with best safety standards; the checks carried out to ensure that they are in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28564/07]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The safety of children travelling on the school transport service is of paramount importance to my Department and to Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme. To this end, Bus Éireann has a wide range of checking procedures in place, in addition to statutory vehicle examinations, to ensure, as far as reasonably possible, that a safe and reliable service is delivered. These procedures are reviewed on an ongoing basis to ensure that appropriate standards are maintained and improved upon, where possible. In recent years, a range of measures to enhance safety and to improve the quality of the school transport service has been put in place, both in the vicinity of and on board school buses. These measures include the phasing out of the three-for-two seating arrangement on primary and post-primary services and providing all children with an individual seat equipped with a seat belt.

The planning of school bus routes, which includes designating pick-up and set-down points, is an operational matter for Bus Éireann. However, my Department and Bus Éireann are conscious of the fact that, in spite of the highest safety standards being applied, children are more at risk of being injured in the vicinity of a bus than travelling on the bus itself. A warning flashing light pilot scheme on school buses was launched in Ennis, County Clare in 2005 and a further phase of the pilot scheme will commence in the coming weeks in a number of other designated areas.

All vehicles operating under the school transport scheme are required to meet the statutory regulations as laid down by the Department of Transport. Vehicles with more than eight adult seats and which are more than one year old, are required to pass the Department of Transport's annual roadworthiness test. Private operators employed by Bus Éireann under the school transport scheme are contractually obliged to keep their nominated vehicles in a safe and roadworthy condition at all times. These contractors are required to meet an extensive range of regulations and standards as set out by the Department of Transport for use of buses in a public place.

Bus Éireann conducts on-the-road service checks using 40 mobile school bus inspectors, who board the buses in the course of their checks to ensure the vehicle and driver are as nominated, and to check that other safety requirements are being observed. Follow-up action is taken by the local Bus Éireann office, which can include termination of contract if deficiencies are detected. A leading international independent agency has been engaged by Bus Éireann to carry out mechanically-based checks on a random basis on both Bus Éireann and privately-owned contractors' vehicles operating under the scheme throughout the country. In conjunction with this exercise, the same agency is carrying out audits of maintenance procedures in use by school bus contractors to make sure they meet best industry standards.

Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his reply. We were very concerned that the importance of safety on school buses might not be paramount in the Department so I appreciate that. The Minister of State highlighted that he is phasing out three for two seat belts, but he has been phasing it out for a long time. Is it in the process of being phased out or has the process been completed? Has every student got an individual seat belt and is the rule being enforced?

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The phasing out process was completed in December 2006. As part of the school bus transport scheme, every student now has a seat belt and retrospective fitting of seat belts occurred in many cases.

Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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The Minister also rightly highlighted the fact that many accidents occur at school bus stops. If the pilot scheme introduced in County Clare was successful, more should be done to introduce more schemes. This happened in early 2005, yet nearly three years later no other scheme has been introduced. We want to see results and safety for every bus stop in the country, especially when we are talking about school transport.

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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There is a danger in having children in the vicinity of the school bus, which was identified by my Department and by Bus Éireann. The pilot scheme worked well and a number of areas are under consideration for an extension of the scheme. We have identified places and we hope to extend the scheme to them in the coming weeks.