Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

Regarding the Deputy's question on early warning systems, the signs have been there for some time. Patient efforts were made by Iarnród Éireann to ensure that services were maintained across the network. The company has tried to contain the action but if one has a small group of individuals who are determined not to comply with normal industrial relations machinery and procedures, it is difficult to do much about it other than cajoling the workers to comply with obligations and agreements made.

I do not accept that there is something inherently wrong with the situation between unions and management in Iarnród Éireann. It must be said again and again that this is unofficial action and is not sanctioned by either trade union in the company. It is the action of a number of individuals in the Cork-Kerry area. Some other people in other areas went out in sympathy. The sympathy should be with the travelling public, not those who do not appear to want to work towards a solution. I agree that if there is a problem between unions and management there are labour relations mechanisms that can solve a dispute. The official unions, SIPTU and NBRU, used this recently to solve it. There is an ongoing discussion between the company and the group of unions on pay, conditions, working hours and pension improvements, which carried on for a long time before being referred, by agreement, to the Labour Relations Commission. There was a conciliation conference on 4 March and the deputy director of conciliation issued a proposal to both parties, which exhorted the drivers to restore full co-operation with training and changes of duty and to cover absences of colleagues. The joint NBRU-SIPTU national drivers committee unanimously accepted the Labour Relations Commission proposal and issued advice to driver members to restore co-operation. We must make the distinction that most drivers responded positively to that and got on with their business. A number have resolutely refused to go back and this is where the difficulties arise.

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