Vol. 558 No. 5
317 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Transport his views in regard to the provision of safety seatbelts on school buses in view of the recent court decision; his plans to ensure the implementation of such belts on school buses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25080/02]
The court's decision in the case referred to by the Deputy is being appealed. Consequently the subject is now sub judice.
The factual position at present with regard to seatbelts in passenger vehicles is that national road traffic regulations require the fitting and wearing of seatbelts in all forward facing seats in such vehicles with not more than eight seats, excluding the driver's seat and which are first registered on or after 1 January 1992. In the case of passenger vehicles with more than eight seats and a maximum weight of 3,500 kgs, including vehicles used as school buses, the requirements apply to the driver and a passenger in a forward facing front seat only.
In line with a commitment in the Government's strategy for road safety 1998-2002, entitled the Road to Safety, a consultation paper that set out a wide range of options for enhancing school bus safety was published by my Department in mid-March this year. This included the possibility of requiring seatbelts to be fitted. Following an extended consultation period a large number of responses were received. These are now being reviewed with a view to identifying a range of possible measures for implementation.
