The appalling accident in Co Meath this week has focused attention on the wider issue of safety on school buses and left most observers unimpressed by the record of this and previous administrations.
At least six reviews in the past 15 years have pointed to the potential for the kind of tragedy which has been visited on the people of Co Meath. But there is the strong sense that the political system never gave the issue the priority it deserved.
Broadly, the various reviews of the school transport system have proposed the abolition of the infamous 3 to 2 rule which allows three pupils to be accommodated in two adult seats. They have also backed the fitting of seat belts on the school bus fleet. Instead of responding to these recommendations, policy makers have pointed to the "excellent safety record" of the school transport system - and moved on. There has been little sense that the safety of the 138,000 children who use the service daily has been properly prioritised. The average age of the bus fleet is 16 years; many buses are much older. Over the years, there have been complaints about faulty brakes, dangerous wiring, and leaky roofs on our school buses. But the warning signs have been ignored.
At issue now is what the Government can do to upgrade safety standards and help reassure worried parents. Most parents, it would seem, want to see the abolition of the 3 to 2 rule and the installation of seat belts on every bus - despite some conflicting international evidence about their value. The National Parents Council (post-primary) says it could boycott the service unless seat belts are installed by next September. While parental anger is understandable, this is an unrealistic demand which cannot be met within that timeframe.
The Government is promising incremental change. Plans to phase out the 3 to 2 rule - apparently under way before this week's accident - will gather pace. The whole question of fitting seat belts will be kept under review. Recommendations which emerge from the various inquiries into this week's accident will be heeded.
The Government does face some logistical difficulties. There are problems, it seems, in sourcing hundreds of right-hand drive school buses which are already fitted with seat belts. The so-called "retro-fitting" of seat belts on some of the existing fleets is also said to be difficult and potentially dangerous.
But none of this, or the estimated €50 million bill for upgrading much of the school bus fleet, should be used as an excuse for inaction. The Government must do all it can to ensure the school transport system meets the highest safety standards.