Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 564: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her Department has clarified if it will be appropriate to retrofit seat belts in some of the current school bus fleet; if so, the number and percentage which will be retrofitted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21167/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that EU Directive 2003/20 requires seat belts to be used where they are fitted. This directive must be transposed into national law by 9 May 2006. Separately, proposals to extend the requirement for seat belts to be fitted in all new vehicles, except for city buses used in stage stop routes, have been developed at EU level. When the directive is adopted, all new school buses being registered from a future date, yet to be determined, will require to be fitted with seat belts. It is not expected that this directive will provide for any mandatory retrofitting of seat belts in existing buses.

The question of the fitting and the mandatory use of seat belts on school buses, outside of these legislative requirements, is at present under consideration in my Department. Before any decision is made, the issue of the type, or types, of seat belt to be fitted must be determined having regard to the differing sizes of the student passengers being carried. My Department is working closely with the Department of Transport and Bus Éireann on this issue and any decisions reached will be guided by expert advice.

Whatever conclusion is reached, the provision of seat belts on school buses, if that is what is recommended, would have to introduced on a phased basis having regard to the logistical difficulties involved in sourcing right-hand drive buses equipped with any appropriate seat belts and the fact that not all the buses in the current fleet may be suitable for the retrofitting of seat belts.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 565: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of buses deployed and funded by her Department in the school transport system; the number of these buses operated by private operators and the number operated by Bus Éireann; the number of buses serving primary schools only; the number serving second level schools only and the number serving both; the number currently fitted with seat belts; the cost of replacing the fleet with seat belt fitted vehicles; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21168/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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More than 3,000 vehicles are used to transport children each day to school. In the region of 80% of these vehicles are owned by private contractors and the remaining 20% are owned by Bus Éireann. The numbers of buses serving primary schools are 1,317 minibuses, 350 medium buses and 312 large buses. The numbers of buses serving post-primary schools are 405 minibuses, 278 medium buses and 436 large buses. Buses serving both primary and post-primary schools are in the region of 254 minibuses, 178 medium buses and 290 large buses. These figures are based on a census taken in October 2004 and include taxis.

Bus Éireann has advised my Department that the most recent figures available indicate that 1,590 vehicles have seat belts and 1,483 are without seat belts. The figures include taxis. It would be premature to provide figures regarding the cost of replacing the fleet with seat belt fitted vehicles until the entire matter, including retrofitting of vehicles with seat belts, is examined and costed.