Four short months from now, the scramble for school bus places will start again. There is going to be a shortage of drivers, as has been the case over the past two years. I welcome the announcement by the Government over the Easter period that it will allow those aged up to 72 to drive eight-seater vehicles. I take that to mean that there will be eight seats plus the driver's. Some companies use such buses, particularly for children with special needs. I acknowledge that this is a small step in the right direction. It is a very small step, however. The Government needs to go two steps further. It needs to be practical. It needs to allow such drivers to drive buses with up to 16 seats. It should also bring the age limit up to 74 or 75, provided there is a strict medical test, which has been announced. I heard the Minister say two weeks ago that such tests will take place twice yearly. The Government has built that in, and it deals with the concerns around health and ability. Extra drivers will be needed in September. Laois has lost several drivers over the past two years because when they hit 70 years of age, they are gone.

The Taoiseach to respond.

We need to put in practical, sensible steps-----

I thank the Deputy. Point made. The Taoiseach to respond.

-----and move two steps further.

I advocated strongly with the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, although it was the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, who responded. This is a matter for CIÉ and Bus Éireann. They have responsibilities too, and the board has responsibilities.

The Government writes the cheque.

We write the cheque, but when it comes to health and safety and the protection of children, there are balances. The buck stops with the company, if we are honest. I hope that this initial breakthrough, whereby up to eight children can be driven by people up to 72 years of age, will be expanded. Perhaps we will learn lessons from this and see how it works, with a view to being in a position to expand it.