Two companies on trial as Navan school bus crash case begins in Circuit Criminal Court

The trial of two companies facing charges arising from the school bus crash in which five Meath schoolgirls died is to begin today (Wednesday) in the Circuit Criminal Court in Dublin, two days ahead of the third anniversary of the tragedy.

Keltank Limited, Balbriggan, Co Dublin, which had a contract to service the bus, and McArdle's Test Centre in Dundalk, Co Louth, which inspected the vehicle, face charges under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act.

Both companies had previously denied the charges against them at a trial at the Circuit Court in Trim last year, which was halted when it emerged one of the jurors had attended the funeral of one of the girls. A new hearing was postponed last March after a judge revealed there were no court rooms available, prompting criticism of the Courts Service.

The trials were initially postponed until next January to the dismay of the bereaved families but following major criticism of the delay and the raising of the issue in the Dail, a trial date for this week was granted.

Meath County Council and Bus Eireann have both pleaded guilty to charges arising from the crash. The bus crashed on 23rd May 2005, near Casey's Cross on the Navan-Kentstown road, as it was bringing children home from school in Navan.

The five girls who died were Lisa Callan, Claire McCluskey, Deirdre Scanlon, Amy McCabe and Sinead Ledwidge. Some 46 children were also injured in the crash.

Meanwhile, a third anniversary Mass for the victims of the crash will take place on Friday in the Church of the Assumption, Beauparc at 7.30pm.