Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The ongoing dispute between Bus Éireann and the employers is continuing to escalate and it seems likely that it will spread to other areas. That is a situation that nobody wants to see. What steps is the Minister, as the major shareholder, taking in order to bring both sides closer to an agreement? As I have stated on numerous occasions, I urge the Minister to take a more proactive role in this dispute in order to halt any strike action that may take place. The Minister has stated previously that he cannot and will not get involved in this dispute. One of the reasons he gave was the involvement of the Workplace Relations Commission. It is claimed that should we have a prolonged period of strike action, we will face a very real possibility of Bus Éireann having to close completely. I put it to the Minister that should this happen, it will be too late to take action. What we need now is the Minister's intervention in this dispute.