Jon Kerr told the Herald he did not place the blame squarely on the bus driver and bus escort involved, whose actions on October 19 resulted in profoundly disabled Sophie being left alone on a school bus in the Education Authority depot for three hours.

 

“Hand on heart they made a mistake and they put their hands up and said sorry, but it’s the system that’s failed them too in respect of training. I’d rather see the systems in place so it doesn’t happen again then go out and point fingers.”

 

When asked if he would like to see the two staff members, who are both believed to be near retirement age, lose their jobs, Mr Kerr said: “If they kept their jobs that’s grand, whether people would trust them again, that’s another matter. Personally they wouldn’t be taking Sophie again.”

 

A week on from the Herald first reporting the incident the Kerr family has since received an apology from Barry Mulholland, the Regional Managing Director of the  Education Authority Western Division stating that a ‘robust investigation in currently ongoing’ and an emailed apology from Sharon O’Connor, chairman of the Board of the Education Authority, who said she would take a ‘personal interest in how the authority improves its systems’.

 

Mr Kerr explained that while the apologies are welcome they want action from both the school and Education Authority.

 

“People have been coming back to us saying there is a sleeping child alarm which is put in the back of the bus and when the driver switches off his engine  he has to go to the back of the bus and switch the alarm off so he checks on the way down that no one is still on the bus. If that had been installed on Sophie’s bus this wouldn’t have happened.”

 

The Kerr family would also like a system in place where if a child from school is absent a parent of guardian is contacted by someone at Willowbridge.

 

“If they’re going to pay us compensation or they’re going to pay to put the system in I’d rather that they keep money and put the system in.”

 

Willowbridge principal Julie Murphy confirmed that she has spoken to the Kerr family since the incident. When asked if there had been any discussions on the possibility of introducing a system to contact parents when their child is absent from school she responded:

 

“All our discussions are happening with the Education Authority. They will make a comment once that’s finished.”