Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. He has rehashed a statement that he delivered to the committee on 1 March. The words have been rejigged and there has been no improvement in his approach. In my days in college, I learned the theory before doing the practical stuff, for example, in science. The Minister has put his hands up and admitted his concerns about policy issues, about which he needs to speak to others. Why did he not speak about them before we ended up with the workers and management at the WRC? Over the past six months, was he not focused on his job as opposed to interfering in other Departments and allowing this dispute to develop into what it is today?

The Minister seems to treat the rest of the country differently from Dublin. He insinuates that we are turning into the wild west in the country but his approach to the bus dispute will turn the countryside into the wild west. He is not a hands-on Minister but he needs to be. As late as yesterday, I heard Mr. Stephen Kent being interviewed by one of the national stations. He was asked if he would have any problem with the Minister getting involved. He did not reply with a point blank, "No". The Minister should review his position and get involved.