Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

I convey my deepest sympathies to the families affected by the dreadful crash yesterday. I agree with Senators Norris and Burke that there have been problems with school transport for years and this was an accident waiting to happen. Two other Members of this House, Senator Jim Higgins and former Senator Denis Naughten, also raised this issue consistently over the years.

I was involved in a crash four years ago involving schoolchildren and a bus and it was the worst thing that happened to me. I cannot imagine how the families are feeling today, not to mention the drivers involved. I call for an urgent debate on this issue and whatever legislation is needed should be introduced immediately. I was aghast to discover this morning that it is legal to carry over 70 people on buses designed to accommodate 53. That loophole in the law must be closed off and we must do everything in our power to prevent a repeat of such a tragedy.

I ask the Leader to speak to the Minister for Education and Science about the recent announcement she made regarding resource teachers. This issue is proving problematic in rural and urban areas. I am aware of a situation where two schools in the same town have received different allocations of resource teachers. One school has fewer teachers than the other, even though it has more pupils. Furthermore, there appears to be no formal appeal mechanism. I appreciate that the Department has a difficult job, but the schools that are unhappy with their allocation of teachers should be able to enter a formal appeals system to highlight their needs and make their case. I ask the Leader to bring this to the attention of the Minister for Education and Science.