Denis Naughten
Ceist:5 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government when he will publish his review of school bus safety; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13863/98]
Other Questions. - School Bus Safety.
Denis Naughten
Ceist:27 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the plans, if any, he has to introduce new safety measures for school buses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13864/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 and 27 together.
In line with its overall responsibility for road safety, my Department has been reviewing a wide range of issues relating to bus safety against the background of national and EU concerns. The key policy requirement is to preserve and enhance the good road safety record of the bus fleet in general and our school bus fleet in particular.
An important background to this task is provided by Directive 96/36/EC under which member states will be allowed from 1 October 1999 to require the fitting of seat belts in all seating positions of certain new buses. The adoption of this requirement, which will be considered, would inter alia involve phasing out the present three for two rule which applies to school buses. I intend that a position on this matter, which will involve consultation with a range of interests, will be finalised well in advance of the implementation date for the directive.
Ireland is also actively supporting the preparation of a draft EU directive to address bus safety and construction standards on a wider basis.
What discussions has the Minister or the Minister of State with responsibility for safety, had with the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, Deputy O'Dea, who is bringing proposals to Cabinet in relation to upgrading the school transport fleet before the autumn for inclusion in next year's bus service?
They will have to go to Limerick to meet him.
There have been ongoing contacts between the Department of Education and Science and the Department of the Environment and Local Government since 1993. I cannot give the Deputy details of meetings, but there have been communications in both directions over that period.
It is obviously a dynamic process.
It started in 1993 so none of us can claim to have been too dynamic. There are ongoing contacts. We have expressed our views on a number of safety matters relating to school buses to the Minister and the Department of Education and Science, and they will be taken into account.
Neither the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, Deputy O'Dea, nor the Minister of State at the Minister's Department have met to discuss this important issue. There have been a number of tragedies on roads over the past 12 months, since the Government came into office and the two Ministers have not sat down face to face to discuss the issue. It is blatant disregard for school-children.
The Minister mentioned the 3:2 seating ratio and the introduction of seat belts. Is it his intention to introduce a 2:2 seating ratio and to introduce safety belts on school buses? The Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science said that he has no intention of changing the current rule whereby 17 and 18 year old students on school buses have to squeeze three into two seats. Does the Minister agree this is ludicrous and that it is not possible to fit three young people, with sports bags, schoolbooks, etc. into two seats?
I ask Members to ask questions to elicit information from the Minister and not to make speeches, in fairness to other Members who have submitted questions. We have been doing very well on questions in the past week. We do not want to drift back to where we only answer four or five questions a day. I ask Members to respect the order of Question Time.
Does the Minister not agree that students now have to stand or sit on the floor of school buses. Will he reconsider the Government's decision?
I do not know to what decision of Government the Deputy is referring. I stated clearly in the original answer that the background to ongoing discussions and the concerns being expressed is provided by Directive 96/36EC under which member states will be allowed, from 1 October 1999 to require the fitting of seat belts in all seats of certain new buses. The adoption of this requirement, which will be considered, would, inter alia, involve phasing out the present 3:2 rule which applies to school buses, and Ireland supports that position. As I do not have the information before me, I cannot tell the Deputy how often the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, Deputy O'Dea, and Minister of State at my Department, Deputy Molloy, have met face to face on this matter. However, there are ongoing contacts, the most recent of which was about three weeks ago.
The Minister should tell Deputy O'Dea who does not seem to be aware of it.