May 2005

Shocked Students call for urgent action on school bus safety

Shocked students have urged the government to act immediately to address safety issues on school buses following the tragic accident near Navan, County Meath, when five schoolgirls lost their lives.

Students, from all over the county, have already voiced their concerns about school bus safety through their Donegal Youth council members and said yesterday it was unfortunate that such a horrible tragedy would have to occur before awareness of this issue finally came came into the public domain.

Donegal Youth Council has facilitated two meetings with Bus Eireann and Lough Swilly Bus Company to discuss the issues of the number of students per seat and the provision of seat belts on school buses. Marybrid Sweeney, Youth Councillor in the Milford Electoral area stated that she "failed to understand why seat belts were in place for members of the public, but not for children and young people on school buses." She added that after the last meeting with both Bus Eireann and Lough Swilly Bus Co. it was decided to contact the Department of Education regarding the safety issues raised at the meeting. She added that the Department advised councillors that it was the Department of Transport who specified guidelines in relation to the number of students per seat and provision of seat belts.

Terence Slowey, Donegal County Councillor, suggested that the government must provide extra resources to upgrate the school bus fleet. The Fine Gael councillor said, a range of initiatives need to be put in place to enhance school bus safety. "All new buses entering the school bus fleet should be fitted with the appropriate number of seat belts and older vehicles where possible should also be fitted with seat belts this summer. If an older bus is such that is is not possible to fit seatbelts then it should be scrapped and I am calling on the Minister of Education to make the necessary finance available immediately so that this can now be done."

All members of Donegal Youth Council extended their sympathy to the families and friends of those who lost their lives in the tragic road accident on Monday evening.

The teenage girls who died were Lisa Callan from Newtown in Beauparc, Amy McCabe, Hayestown, and Sinead Ledwidge, Senchalstown. All were 15 years old. The other two girls were 18 year old Claire McCluskey, Rathdrinagh in Beauparc, and 17 year old Deirdre Scanlon, from Yellow Furze.

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