06/06/2008

Death Bus Fine Tops €2m

Fines totalling €2.2m have been imposed on Bus Éireann, Meath County Council and Keltank Ltd for breaches of health and safety legislation arising out of the fatal crash in which five Meath schoolgirls died.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court fined Bus Éireann €2m; Meath County Council €100,000, and Keltank - a family run garage in Balbriggan that serviced the school bus - €100,000.

They had pleaded guilty to various charges following what was described as a "comprehensive and exhaustive investigation" into the accident.

The five schoolgirls killed instantly in what prosecuting counsel described as a "tragic road accident" that happened four miles outside Navan on May 23, 2005 were Claire McCluskey, Deirdre Scanlon, Lisa Callan, Amy McCabe and Sinead Ledwidge.

Another 46 schoolchildren, including Rachel McGovern who was still trapped under the bus when emergency crews arrived, a motorist in another vehicle and the bus driver, Mr John Hubble, were injured.

See: Firm Guilty In Meath Bus Crash

(BMcC)

Related Irish News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

27 May 2008
Firm Guilty In Meath Bus Crash
One of the two companies on trial over the Meath bus crash at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has pleaded guilty to a charge arising from it. Keltank Ltd, based in Balbriggan in Dublin, was responsible for servicing the bus involved in the accident, which happened just over three years ago.
26 January 2017
Bus Éireann 'Directly Threaten' School Bus Service - SIPTU
Bus Éireann has "directly threatened" the future of a school bus service, according to trade union SIPTU. The union made the allegation following the presentation of a pay claim at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).
06 August 2013
Fianna Fáil Calls On Varadkar To Open Bus Lanes
Bus lanes around Dublin city should be opened to traffic during the ongoing Dublin Bus strike, a Fianna Fáil (FF) Senator has said. FF party spokesperson Darragh O'Brien, has called on the Minister for Transport to open up all bus lanes in Dublin to help commuters affected by the Dublin Bus strike.
03 March 2008
Court To Set Date Over Navan Bus Crash
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court is expected to set a date today for a trial over the Navan bus crash which killed five schoolgirls almost three years ago. The hearing was postponed last week after a judge revealed there were no court rooms available, prompting criticism of the Courts Service.
11 August 2008
Meath Coach Crash Inquest Opens
An inquest has opened in Trim into a Bus Éireann crash which killed five schoolgirls in Co Meath three years ago. Claire McCluskey, Deirdre Scanlon, Lisa Callan, Aimee McCabe and Sinead Ledwidge died when the coach they were travelling in overturned on the Navan-Kentstown road in May 2005.