Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

Does the Taoiseach accept that the bus drivers were not out for a stroll yesterday but were expressing the depth of their anger at the privatisation plans of the Minister for Transport? Does the Taoiseach accept that bus drivers, especially those in Dublin, work an extremely difficult, stressful and responsible job where, unfortunately, they are open to aggression and violence? Why does the Taoiseach propose a system that will eventually lead to a worsening of conditions, longer hours and pressure on pay? This is the record of private multinational bus companies. Does the Taoiseach not know that privatisation has been a disaster for workers and the travelling public in parts of Britain, for example?

Will the Taoiseach check the Napoleonic tendencies of the Minister for Transport regarding crucial areas of the public service? Will transport workers be forced to have an all-out strike before the Minister and the Government returns to logic?

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