Meath mother challenges de Valera to travel on school bus

Bus seating: A Co Meath mother whose eight-year-old son is still required to sit three to a double seat on a bus each school day has challenged the Minister of State Síle deValera "or any Minister" to travel the route for a week.

Avril Morrow's son travels the Navan to Kentstown road to and from school each day in a minibus which she said is required by Department of Education rules to accept 21 children for its 14 seats.

She said she and other parents had "only the height of respect for the bus operator and the standard of his bus" but she insisted that he is required by the "three for two" rule to take 21 children.

Ms Morrow said she was convinced "not one Minister would last more than one day and then we would get all the buses we want."

The bus used by her son was relatively new and in good condition. "The driver is a lovely man and couldn't be more obliging. But he can't help the instructions he is getting.

"There are three children in the front with him . . . It is crazy but those are his instructions".

Minister of State Síle de Valera who has responsibility for school transport responded that she would be interested in following up Ms Morrow's claims although she acknowledged that the numbers would fall in with the "three for two" rule.

The Minster declined to comment on the offer of a week's travel on the bus.

The Minister said what she "was saying was that it is not good enough to replace the three for two with one for one, unless the one for one had a seat belt for each seat".

Ms de Valera said there had been much comment over recent days about old buses but she maintained "old buses doesn't mean unsafe buses." She instanced the annual suitability tests carried out by Bus Éireann and added that the average age of buses was now 14 years which was the lowest since 1990.

Speaking earlier on the RTÉ Radio Today with Pat Kenny Show Ms de Valera said she did not think "logistical problems" could be overcome in time for the September deadline set by the National Parents Council.

The Minister said efforts to "source second hand buses with straps or seat belts, in England" could be made, but while that might secure some buses she added that it would not be possible to manufacture the remaining requirement "within the short timeframe. So there are logistical problems".