Government wants crash reports before making seat-belts decision

The Government is to await the reports into the Meath crash before making a decision on the provision of seat-belts in school buses, the Dáil was told.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was replying to Labour education spokeswoman Jan O'Sullivan, who asked if there were plans to introduce a supplementary estimate to buy school buses which had seat-belts fitted.

"Can this be fast-tracked? We have been told that it will take a couple of years and that it will cost €100 million."

Mr Ahern said: "There is no supplementary estimate yet, but we will await the three reports into the terrible tragedy in Co Meath."

Ms O'Sullivan said she was referring to the general issue of safety on school buses.

On Tuesday, Minister of State for Education Síle de Valera told the Dáil that an EU directive to come into effect next year required seat-belts to be used where they were fitted.

She said the use of seat-belts on school buses was not straightforward, and there were difficulties in designing belts that were safe for children of all ages. She said experts had advised against fitting seat-belts retroactively.