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

I refer the Deputy to my reply to Priority Question No. 1 from Deputy Dooley in which I had an opportunity to refer to some of the points raised by Deputy Ellis. I will make a number of additional points on the matter.

I made it very clear in my intervention yesterday that were any existing employees of Dublin Bus or Bus Éireann to find themselves in a position where they were working on a route that had been tendered out to another company, they would not be required to transfer. Therefore, if Dublin Bus or Bus Éireann were to find that they lost a route due to the tendering process, drivers in those situations would face two options. On option one, I gave a commitment yesterday morning that they would not have to transfer if they did not wish to do so, because I acknowledge the degree of change involved in this, particularly in a part of the country represented by Deputy Halligan where I know this is a matter of great interest to employees located in his county. The second option for employees is that if they wish, they could transfer on existing terms and conditions. It is due to the intervention I made yesterday that a platform has been created for substantial engagement in the Labour Relations Commission. We find ourselves in a situation where, in 2015, the travelling public and employees are facing a strike about something that might happen in 2019. The Government and I have dealt with all of the matters raised by existing employees in both companies for 2015 and beyond, by giving the guidance to the management in both companies that no existing employee will be required to transfer.

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