Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

I was on my way to work and called into my coffee shop. The chap who owns it asked me what I was going to be doing today. I told him I was going in to Dáil Éireann to ask the Minister, Deputy Shane Ross, a few questions. He said to me: "Shane Ross? That fella used to be a communist with the Sunday Independent." I explained that he used to be a columnist with the Sunday Independent. He said: "Yes, that is what I told you. He used to be a communist with the Sunday Independent." I left it at that and went away thinking that if he was a communist or socialist, we would be in a better position with regard to Bus Éireann than we are at the moment.

The Minister kicked off his remarks by making a couple of brief comments about the recent dispute. I do not intend to dwell on that, but I will make a couple of brief points. I am sure the Minister is well-informed about the situation, but I will outline the position just in case. There is not a single bus driver, to my knowledge – I know a lot of them – who voted in favour of the package because they felt it was a positive option for them, their families or the future of the company. Without exception, the men and women I know who voted for it did so because they felt that a gun had been put to their heads. They felt that the threat of examinership was so serious that this time there was no alternative but to vote for the package. That was the feeling among employees.

I compliment all of them on the stand they took. The pay cuts and pension situation would have been significantly worse if they had not taken that stand. It is to their credit that they fought their corner so well. I will leave those points there.

I am not sure if whether when the Minister says that proposing to put more than 10% of the company's services out to tender is extremely provocative, he feels that the Minister for Social Protection's comments were extremely provocative because the Minister for Social Protection has made his position clear on that. The Minister might like to clarify that point.

On the immediate issues, in respect of funding for PSO, the Minister says we will see the colour of the money in budget 2018. We will watch that with great interest. On the question of free travel, the Minister says that this examination is ongoing but an important principle has already been agreed that all commercial operators, including Expressway, should be treated and compensated in the same manner under the scheme. I am asking the Minister to clarify that. Discrimination in favour of the private operators over and above Bus Éireann in terms of the way that scheme is administered exists. Can the Minister confirm that he is suggesting that this discrimination be ended? That would be welcome but I would like to hear that point clarified.

When we were discussing the free travel scheme during the dispute-----