Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is the sole shareholder in Bus Éireann. We are 12 days away from a national bus strike which could spill over into a national public transport strike. The Minister said the same sterile mantras 12 days ago that he has repeated in the Dáil today. Will he be saying them in 12 days' time when a national bus strike will kick off? We need more than that.

I understand there is a village in his constituency called "Stepaside". It strikes me as apt because he seems to want to step aside from this entire controversy. He seems to be willing to allow Mr. Hernan to provoke a strike by demanding cuts of up to €8,000 for some workers. He seems to be willing, for the sake of €9 million, to put at risk the future of a company whose workers pay €59 million to the Exchequer in payroll taxes every year. Is he prepared to put aside the sterile mantras and the play-acting here in the House and act to deal with this crisis?

See this speech in context