Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail)

Will the Leader organise a debate regarding a review of the safety standards that apply to school buses? A number of other Senators have called for such a debate. It is important because there is real concern among parents over the safety of their children who travel on school buses every day. To some extent, the issue is hyped up and I still believe that travelling to school on a school bus is one of the safest methods of doing so. However, there are still concerns, particularly regarding buses that have passed the test but which nevertheless find themselves involved in very serious accidents within a number of months of their having done so. There needs to be an audit of standards and I would like to see both relevant Ministers in the House to allay parents' fears and, if necessary, introduce amending legislation to upgrade the standards.