Mr. Dermot O'Leary:

As Senator Ó Céidigh is aware, the public service obligation is vital for Donegal and Sligo airports. Ryanair and Senator Ó Céidigh's company competed for PSO contracts at certain airports over the years, including Farranfore.

To respond to Senator Ó Céidigh's point on contracts of employment, trade unions are at one on this issue. I will not refer to any company by name because I am not allowed to do so. On the wages paid in the commercial Expressway market, one bad operator in this market is primarily, albeit not completely, responsible for Bus Éireann's problems. I refer to only one company, even though five companies are operating in some of the Expressway corridors, including Bus Éireann. One rogue operator can seriously damage another company. Some entity involved in the regulation of employment, including driving hours, must sit on these types of companies and root out this type of behaviour.

As we pointed out, we are not afraid of competition. What we want is a level playing pitch. We want to be told that the meagre pension paid to CIE employees and all the conditions available to our members will also apply across the private sector. We would then have a level playing pitch. In such circumstances, we should let the best man win, so to speak. We would organise in these companies in any event. Contrary to popular belief, the trade unions do not regard competition as an evil.