Dáil Report: The Taoiseach agreed with the Fine Gael leader that amandatory set of safety standards should apply to all school buses. Bertie Ahern was replying to questions from Enda Kenny following the Offaly bus crash.
"As the deputy noted, although the safety check for roadworthiness takes place under the authorised test centres, the same level of safety standards that apply to public buses, be they CIÉ buses or Bus Éireann buses, do not apply to privately contracted buses," said Mr Ahern.
Mr Kenny argued that for children involved in education, the same level of high safety standards should apply in terms of vehicles, licences, seatbelts etc, regardless of whether they were transported by a scheme operated by the department or by a private contracted service.
Mr Ahern said that gardaí were investigating the circumstances of the Offaly incident, and it would be inappropriate for him to make any further comment until the details were available.
He understood, he said, that the bus was a "private hire management vehicle" licensed by the Garda.
"I understand that the bus in question was the subject of its annual roadworthiness test at the start of the school year last September."
Mr Kenny said that about 130,000 children were transported to school every day by the Department of Education's transport service. Many other thousands of children travelled with private bus operators.
"The safety of all those children is naturally of concern to everybody in the House here." He added that parents who made a contract with a contractor to provide a private bus were expected to ensure that the required safety standards applied, but often it was extremely difficult for a community of parents to do so as they were anxious to get a transport scheme to operate for their children.
Mr Ahern said he had spoken to the responsible ministers who had briefed him on developments in recent months regarding various EU directives on safety. "Our law will incorporate a number of directives to the effect that from October 2007, all new buses, other than for scheduled services, must be fitted with seatbelts."
However, a large proportion of our buses are older stock. Moreover, we buy older buses - presumably private contractors also do - which are not fitted with seatbelts."
He added that following last year's school bus accident in Meath, the Government had decided that the school transport fleet would be fitted with seat belts on a phased basis and that the entire fleet would be equipped by no later than the end of this year.
In addition, the application of a directive would mean that the wearing of seatbelts on school buses, once fitted, would be mandatory. Mr Ahern said there was much discussion on the issue in the House last year after the Meath accident.
"We continue with the process of fulfilling our own regulations and the EU directives regarding seat belts on vehicles. A number of issues arise in this respect that are ongoing. That work will continue."
All sides of the House expressed sympathy with the bereaved and injured in the Offaly crash.
