Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The idea that the company could face insolvency, which has been put more firmly on the agenda since yesterday with the tighter timescale announced by Mr. Hernan, which would cost the State hundreds of millions of euro for the sake of an injection of less than €10 million, which could be done by some relatively simple measures, adds a real sense of urgency to the negotiations between Mr. Duggan's Department and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. If it comes to a strike next week, for the unions and working people in this country, and this includes rail workers and workers in Bus Éireann, the bus workers cannot afford to lose this dispute. The precedent of pay cuts of €7,000 plus would be horrendous, and whatever needs to be done should be done for the sake of solidarity. I put it to Mr. Duggan that these negotiations need to be speeded up if there is any interest at Government level in avoiding a dispute. However, I suggest there is no such interest. I suggest there is a hidden agenda which involves a low pay company and privatisation.