Three inquiries are under way today into the bus crash in Navan yesterday that killed five schoolgirls.
Investigators from the Health and Safety Authority, the Garda and Bus Éireann have started examining the wreckage and the crash scene to determine how the bus turned on its side near a temporary traffic light at a road works site.
A Garda spokesman said this afternoon the road between Navan and Kentstown would remain closed until tonight and may not reopen until tomorrow.
Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea
The accident happened shortly after 4pm yesterday evening between Navan and Kentstown. The bus was taking more than 50 schoolchildren home from four secondary schools when it was involved in a collision with two other vehicles.
The Garda spokesman said they hoped to interview the bus driver and the drivers of the other two vehicles shortly, but he could not say if this would take place today.
The five victims, all from Navan, were named this morning as 15-year-old Lisa Callan from Newton, Beauparc; 18-year-old Claire McCluskey from Rathdrinagh, Beauparc; 15-year-old Amy McCabe from Hayestown; 17-year-old Deirdre Scanlon from Yellow Furze, Beauparc; and 15-year-old Sinead Ledwidge from Senchalstown.
A spokesperson for Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Co Louth, said of the 17 patients admitted, six were being discharged today, four are pending discharge this evening and the remaining seven are in a stable condition.
Five other teenagers in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Navan, Co Meath, last night are in a stable condition. Some of these may be discharged this evening. One of those likely to be discharged is the bus driver.
This morning it emerged that Bus Éireann's investigation will be headed up by former Garda assistant commissioner Jim McHugh.
Speaking on RTÉ radio this morning a Bus Éireann spokeswoman, Erica Rosengrave, said the company's board would meet this morning to discuss the incident.
Ms Rosengrave said the bus was 12 years old; the average of the company's school bus fleet is 11. She also confirmed the bus was not fitted with seat belts, adding they are not required under current legislation.
"It is Bus Éireann practise to replace older buses in the school bus fleet with newer models with seat belts," Ms Rosengrave added.
Fine Gael spokesman on transport Denis Naughton said: "That bus yesterday was licensed to carry 79 pupils. That situation needs to be addressed, as well as the issue of seat belts themselves."
Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea said: "An awful lot of taxpayers' money has been spent on modernising the school bus fleet. In an ideal world, yes, there should be seat belts on every bus."
"We have to wait on the outcome of the three investigations to see what exactly caused this crash," he said.