Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

There is no doubt that 2013 will be a tough year for CIE. A certain level of funding is available and the Department must find the funding for the coming years. We have put in place a three year programme and next year CIE will receive €226 million. We are working closely with the company to ensure it can provide the services with that subvention in 2013. There are cost cutting measures across all of the CIE subsidiary companies. Irish Rail has already agreed to a number of cost cutting measures, while Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann are in negotiations at the moment. There are issues for Bus Éireann and the Department is watching that closely. I thank everyone in the Houses for the speedy passage of the CIE borrowings legislation that will allow us to increase its borrowing limit, which is necessary given the current environment.

It would be wrong not to say to everyone in the House with an interest in transport that 2013 will be a challenging year when it comes to CIE and its subsidiaries. We are working closely as a Department with the board of CIE and the chief executives of the three subsidiaries to ensure we can get through 2013 and get more passengers and cut costs, while looking at what other measures are possible to sustain the services we all need.

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