Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am shocked that the Minister now claims there was no report because he confirmed there was a report at a meeting of the Oireachtas committee last week. In fact, at this morning's meeting of the committee, I got a sense of hope, particularly in light of the fact that the Minister said he had checked the grammar and spell-checked the report of the RSA. It is Deputy Ross's duty as Minister to hold the board to account. I hope he will bring that level of authority to the board of Bus Éireann and hold it to account and get it to instruct the new CEO to enter negotiations without any preconditions, good, bad or indifferent.

I also hope the Minister will realise that it is not just the pay and conditions of the workers that are targeted to be slashed in the attempt to turn this company around. There has to be monumental structural change within Bus Éireann, of which the Minister is the sole shareholder and on which he has a major influence in terms of what structural changes and efficiencies can be derived.

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