Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I cannot answer every specific question. In regard to Bus Éireann, with a drop in passenger numbers and activity, that reflects back in terms of what the company can do to retain jobs and to maintain that position against a background of reduced revenues and passenger numbers. Unfortunately, it is one of the difficulties that company faces in having to manage its affairs.

There is an ongoing question on specific job initiatives but the need to avoid a distortionary effect, to find consistency of approach and to avoid discrimination against one set of workers as against another in terms of how one implements change is not a simple area. It is one in which much technical discussion is taking place under the aegis of social partnership in an effort to see what way we can design other measures, some of which have been proposed but about which there are some issues that we are trying to resolve in a way based on the fact that the taxpayer is borrowing €70 million per day just to keep current services going.

It is important we find a way forward which keeps the pitch level and provides the assistance which will be effective. While people can put forward any number of proposals, they must pass those tests and criteria of availability to all and sundry in an equitable and fair manner.

It is important at this stage of the discussions that the Government is in a position to indicate its intention in this area without closing off trying to make progress in other areas which remain under discussion. However, the discussions have not been completed yet because the problems which arise in regard to the applicability and application of some of these ideas need to be resolved in a way which does not discriminate.

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