Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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I have said on the record that we have industrial relations machinery in the State. I am not asking the Minister to become involved in the industrial relations. However, the parties must have something to negotiate. There must be the funds to negotiate. Other than that, what the Minister said in his opening statement about low wages and so forth is nonsense. If the only thing that is available to negotiate within the industrial relations framework is a sizeable cut in the income of some of those who are negotiating, is it really a negotiation? I am asking the Minister if he has identified a tolerance within the company that there is a sufficient income, because it says it is almost insolvent. Is there sufficient tolerance within that company to have a basis of negotiation that is different from cuts for the people who drive the buses?