Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

One of the reasons I have a very strong commitment to delivery of a 10% tendering of existing routes is because of my commitment to ensuring we have a growing bus market in the future that is more active, has more services and has the ability to respond to the travelling public. I am the Minister who, before Christmas, brought in a Supplementary Estimate of €110 million, the sole purpose of which was to support the development of the CIE group and meet its financial needs. I did that because I recognise the very important role public transport has to play in responding to and meeting the needs of passengers, in many cases where the private sector will not do so or is not in a position to do so. That is why our public transport companies, particularly our bus companies, are important, and it is one of the reasons they received such support from me before Christmas.

With regard to the Labour Relations Commission, I reiterate that what happened yesterday is disappointing. Many of the issues that have been raised by the unions as being important and which they raised with me before Christmas would have been resolved within the labour relations process. There are key issues in regard to the impact on workers and the future of the bus market. I am confident that if the process had been allowed to continue, these matters would have been dealt with and, therefore, what happened yesterday is disappointing. I reaffirm that the Labour Relations Commission, the supremacy of which Deputy Dooley acknowledged, is the forum in which matters like this should be dealt with. I am confident the legislation that is in place is robust. The NTA has indicated its intent to defend that legislation if it were to be challenged in the courts by the NBRU or another party.

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