Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)
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People felt that enough was enough in terms of pay cuts. Is Dublin Bus out of the woods in that regard or will it always be a question of balancing the books by the amount of money given by the Government? I would be very supportive of the view expressed by Deputy Ellis. I am a strong supporter of public subvention for the transport industry because I do not think any public transport organisation in the developed world pays its way as it is, by its nature, a public service. I am sure that view will be part of Mr. Courtney's ongoing discussions with the Government.

I do not share the view that even in times of austerity the first area to be examined should be the subvention for public transport, especially as I am someone who comes from rural Ireland where public transport is relied on to a great extent. In a city the size of Dublin people rely on public transport for a variety of reasons. To me it is a no-brainer that Government should provide subventions. However, there is the argument that subvention is fine but there has to be a responsible approach from those working within the industry.

My question concerns the industrial relations relationship between management and the workers. Does the workforce support Dublin Bus and see it as more than just a job? Does it share the vision of what public transport is about as outlined by Mr. Courtney? I would like to explore that with him. I wish him every success. I have no doubt he will bring a very unique dimension to this job.