Danny Healy-Rae Challenges Bus In Over Children Left in Rain
Danny Healy-Rae raised concerns about children being left in the rain at a railway yard and criticised what he described as excessively harsh sanctions on school-bus drivers and contractors. He asked Mr. Kint to respond about a room with nine children (he said he had ten) and said the rules were unfair, citing long family experience operating the school service.
Children left outdoors at railway yard
He described a railway yard where people board trains for Tully, Killarney and Dublin and where buses can enter. He said there is a shelter and a parking area for people bringing and collecting children but that it was not being used, leaving people standing in the rain. He said he was incensed that a room expected to hold nine children received ten.
Sanctions for driver errors
He challenged the severity of sanctions for mistakes, saying the penalty is that "the driver can't drive anymore for bus in for as long as he lives" and that contractors can be barred from operating. He recounted an incident in which a driver found a child asleep on a bus, took the child home and the parents were happy, yet the driver was reportedly reported and banned. He questioned whether a driver should be expected to leave the controls unattended to check every child and compared the sanctions to criminal sentences.
Family history of school transport
He said his family has operated the service since 1956, with his father before him and himself involved since around 1974 or 1975, and that they take the work very seriously.
Response and safeguarding framing
Another speaker replied that the issue falls under child safeguarding and that representations can come from drivers or parents; they said they would respond on the other points raised. The speaker also noted, in response to Deputy Collins, that the professor referenced is the director of the National Office for Traffic Medicine.
Children left outdoors at railway yard
He described a railway yard where people board trains for Tully, Killarney and Dublin and where buses can enter. He said there is a shelter and a parking area for people bringing and collecting children but that it was not being used, leaving people standing in the rain. He said he was incensed that a room expected to hold nine children received ten.
Sanctions for driver errors
He challenged the severity of sanctions for mistakes, saying the penalty is that "the driver can't drive anymore for bus in for as long as he lives" and that contractors can be barred from operating. He recounted an incident in which a driver found a child asleep on a bus, took the child home and the parents were happy, yet the driver was reportedly reported and banned. He questioned whether a driver should be expected to leave the controls unattended to check every child and compared the sanctions to criminal sentences.
Family history of school transport
He said his family has operated the service since 1956, with his father before him and himself involved since around 1974 or 1975, and that they take the work very seriously.
Response and safeguarding framing
Another speaker replied that the issue falls under child safeguarding and that representations can come from drivers or parents; they said they would respond on the other points raised. The speaker also noted, in response to Deputy Collins, that the professor referenced is the director of the National Office for Traffic Medicine.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Other speeches
Tego samego dnia All speeches from this day →
Michael Fitzmaurice
Michael Fitzmaurice: UN and EU 'Standing Idly By' Over Gaza
Sharon Keogan
Sharon Keogan: Says B&Bs Strangled by Red Tape, Tourism Sinks
Michael Fitzmaurice
Michael Fitzmaurice urges bigger Sports Capital funding, regional hub
Richard O'Donoghue
Richard O'Donoghue Welcomes Ryder Cup to Limerick
Rose Conway-Walsh
Rose Conway-Walsh presses for defective concrete block legislation
Rose Conway-Walsh
Rose Conway-Walsh demands implementation of occupied territories bill
Transcript
Thank you very much. I suppose I was interacting with Mr. Kint earlier when our time ran out. So I'd be asking you, Mr. Kint, to reply to me in relation to the room with the nine children. Unfortunately, I had ten children in. And then, fun for, I just want to elaborate another bit about that. I'm incinced about that. There is a railway yard where, specifically, there's people getting on the train for Tully, for Killarney, for Dublin, whatever. The buses can go in there. There's a shelter there for the people. There's a parking area for people bringing in, bringing home people and bringing people to the bus. And I can't see why that is operating. Having people standing out in the rain is totally and absolutely wrong all day, every day. That's what's happening there. And the other thing that I'm kind of very worried about, and I want to ask you about it, is we're all human beings and people make errors, whether it is drivers or whether it is contractors. But the penalty or the sanction for making any kind of a mistake with bus in is the driver can't drive anymore for bus in for as long as he lives. The contractor can't operate anymore for bus in. This is related to school, bringing school children. We have operated the service since 1956, my father before me, and then made in since around 1974 or 75. And we take it very seriously. But you can make a mistake. And I know of a driver that he went home one evening after delivering all his children, and when he looked out the window, there was a child inside the bus. He took the bus. He took the child home. The parents were happy. She had fallen asleep. So the question is, is the bus driver supposed to get up off his seat and leave the controls unattended and go back and check each child? He took the child home immediately. Nothing happened to the child. The parents were happy. The parents were happy, happy to have that child back. But some other, no, good for nothing, they should be minding their own business, reported him to bus in. And he can never again drive a bus for bus in. If we commit manslaughter, you'll get out after six or seven years. If we rob the bank in Kinmere, you'll get so many years, but it won't get life. This is very wrong. I know of another bus operator. They made a slight mistake. Time, Deputy Healy-Rate, time? We don't reply to me as to who makes that decision or who made those rules or where are they emanating from. Because they seem very strict and very, very not fair. They're unfair. Just very briefly, or whether you want to engage with Deputy Healy-Rate after the meeting. Just two things. It all falls under child safeguarding. So while you might even make the representation on behalf of the driver, sometimes I've also heard the representation of the parent. And there is huge concern there. So it's purely a safeguarding issue. So just to say, but I will respond to you on the other issues you raised. And can I just say, in relation to Deputy Collins' piece just on the professor, he's the director of the National Office for Traffic Medicine. Okay. So his credentials are there, just to put that on the record. No, no, no, I just say.