Government knew schoolbus safety was an issue long before tragedy

ONE could almost have sympathy for Education Minister Mary Hanafin when, with a helpless shrug, she pleaded that it was not possible to have every school bus fitted with seat belts by September.

Almost, only for the fact that we know differently. The Government had at least six years, not four months, in which to organise seat belts on school buses. But they chose not to do so.

In fact, they had at least six years after the Joint Oireachtas Committee recommended in 1999 that seat belts be provided on school buses and that the ratio of three students to two seats be ended.