Bus Éireann has pleaded guilty to two charges arising from the school bus crash at Kentstown, Co Meath almost two years ago which claimed the lives of five girls.
The guilty pleas were entered at Trim Circuit Criminal Court yesterday by Martin Nolan, Bus Éireann's chief operating officer.
Claire McCluskey (18), Deirdre Scanlon (17), Lisa Callan (15), Aimee McCabe (15) and Sinéad Ledwidge (15) were killed when their school bus overturned on their way home from school, near Kentstown, on May 23rd, 2005. They were students of St Michael's Loreto Convent in Navan and Beaufort College, Navan. Forty-six children were injured in the crash.
Yesterday, Bus Éireann pleaded guilty to failing to maintain the bus in a safe condition under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989, in that the bus's anti-lock braking system was not operational.
The company also pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the provision of information, instruction and training on the use of the DAF Van Hool bus as was necessary, and, in particular, failing to instruct the bus driver, John Hubble, in relation to the anti-lock braking system at or near the Bus Éireann yard in Navan on August 25th, 2004.
The charges arose when an investigation was launched by the Health and Safety Authority after the crash.
The court heard that the sentence hearing could take up to half a day. Judge Thomas Teehan agreed that the matter could be put in for mention with the Meath County Council case at the court next Tuesday.
Last October, Meath County Council pleaded guilty to two charges which also arose from the Health and Safety Authority's investigation after the crash.
The charges related to roadworks which were being carried out on behalf of the council at the time of the accident.
The council pleaded guilty to failing to appoint a project supervisor for the construction stage of the roadworks project and for failing to draw up a health and safety plan.
This morning, a jury is expected to be sworn in at Trim Circuit Criminal Court to hear charges against two other companies, Keltank Ltd, from Balbriggan in Dublin, which serviced the vehicle, and McArdle's Test Centre in Dundalk.
Judge Teehan sent the jury panel home yesterday morning so that he could hear legal argument on the case.
The trial is expected to last several weeks, with a large number of expert witnesses to be called.