Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We all agree with the first part of the motion. The motion passed through the Houses of the Oireachtas at the start of February. It included a call to increase in the travel pass subsidy and all of that. I have no problem with any of that. However, the two additional parts of the motion are not specific enough. Given the stage we are at now, those in Bus Éireann management are back to being their provocative selves and that the Minister is missing in action again, I believe the motion does not go far enough. We have all repeatedly called on the Minister to get involved. The fact is that the motion does not detail exactly what we want to do in respect of getting down to coming out with carrying out a review relating to the over-saturation of routes and the identification of those routes.

The motion is not specific enough in identifying where those licences were issued, when they were issued and the figures as to how they resulted in a loss-making position. All of that needs to be out in the open and to be clear. As the committee will be aware, for the past few months neither the NTA nor the Minister, nor the Department, has been transparent in giving members those figures. If we are to get to the bottom of it and separate it from the reasons for the financial crisis as opposed to focusing on, blaming and targeting the workers who did not create this crisis, we need to be more specific.