Meath schoolbus crash report expected in days

THE families of five schoolgirls who died in a schoolbus crash in Co Meath last May will see the first official investigation report into the accident within days.

An independent board of inquiry set up by Bus Éireann to investigate the tragedy is nearing the end of its work and is expected to hand over its findings and recommendations inside a week.

Bus Éireann spokeswoman Erica Rosengrave said the inquiry team had been determined to meet the target of completing the report within 10 weeks of their initial meeting. The bereaved families will be among the first to receive copies of the report along with the board of Bus Éireann and the chairman of CIE, Dr John Lynch, but it is not clear when the findings will be made public because of the possibility of criminal proceedings and the likelihood of civil actions. Ms Rosengrave said that Bus Éireann had no objections in principle to publication.