On 21 February 2004, an accident occurred at Wellington Quay, Dublin, which involved a bus operated by Dublin Bus. In the accident, five people lost their lives and a number of others were injured. Like everybody in this House, I extend my condolences to the relatives and friends of the deceased. I assure them that a full and thorough investigation is being carried out into the circumstances surrounding this tragic accident. The investigation will be completed in the shortest possible timeframe.
The primary immediate investigative role in the case of road accidents is vested in the Garda Síochána. Priority in such an investigation must be given to the determination of the causes of the accident and, in particular, to the determination of whether a breach of the road traffic law contributed to the occurrence. The Garda is the body empowered to make such a determination. Investigations by the Garda into the cause of last Saturday's accident have already begun.
Dublin Bus has launched its own company inquiry into the incident to determine its cause and the circumstances surrounding it. The inquiry will be chaired by Arnold O'Byrne, a board member of Dublin Bus, and will include Alan Westwell, managing director of Dublin Bus, Shane Doyle, chief engineer of Dublin Bus, Mick Matthews, operations manager of Dublin Bus, Joe Hogan, risk manager of Dublin Bus, Wolfgang Arnold, engineering and infrastructure director of Stuttgart Transport, Germany, Simon Brown, former group engineer of London Buses Limited, UK, Hugo van Wesemael, former director general of de Lijn Transport, Flanders, Belgium, and Dr. Richard Lambourn, lead investigator of the Transport Research Laboratory, UK. The team will investigate the circumstances of the accident to establish its causes and any contributory factors. It will also make recommendations to prevent a recurrence. It is expected that a preliminary report of the inquiry's findings and recommendations will be submitted to the board of Dublin Bus within six weeks. This will provide an opportunity to assess all the issues arising from the accident, including safety at bus stops.
Dublin Bus had received a small number of complaints relating to safety and environmental issues at the stop in question. These complaints related mainly to the night environment in the vicinity of Temple Bar, public lighting, bus shelters, vehicle noise and the pedestrian environment. Since the terminal was relocated to Wellington Quay, there has been no reported incident of personal injury associated with its location. It would not be helpful to speculate at this time as to the causes of the accident. I will await the findings of the two investigations before commenting in detail on the matter. In the meantime, I am assured by Dublin Bus that all reasonable safety measures are in place in the operation of its services. avail of this opportunity to thank the emergency services and the Garda for their speedy response to the events of last Saturday and pay tribute to Dublin Bus for the professional and compassionate manner in which it is trying to deal with this awful tragedy.