Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I too welcome our visitors from across the water here today to the Dáil. I hope they enjoy their visit. They may have issues to talk about in respect of Brexit and other matters.

I assure Deputy Micheál Martin that there will be an opportunity to pay tribute to our late colleague, Peter Mathews. I extend our deepest sympathy to his wife Susan and family. He was always a different personality with a particular view in respect of financial circumstances as they applied to the country.

I agree with the Deputy in respect of his question on Bus Éireann that no one wants a strike to happen. It is a matter of grave concern to the Government and to commuters who travel on Bus Éireann that a strike might happen. I assure Deputy Micheál Martin that the Government is committed to a State transport company. A total of 81% of passengers who travel with Bus Éireann use the PSO-subsidised service. As he is aware, it is not possible to subsidise the commercial arm of the company, namely, the Expressway service in the context of Europe and where we are.

I do not agree with the Deputy or accept his comment that the Minister is on the margins silently acquiescing in the demise of a State company. The Minister is but one member of a Cabinet that acts with collective responsibility here. The Cabinet is fully committed to the retention of the State company. In respect of the statements made yesterday by the board, company and trade unions, there is a willingness to engage in the kind of serious discussions that we all understand need to happen to solve this particularly difficult situation. As I pointed out on several occasions, the WRC is ready, as ever, to assist.

There are some in the House who repeatedly claim that the Government and the Minister should do something. When asked what the focus of that particular attention is, it is always about increasing subvention and assessing the free travel scheme. I have already pointed that the subvention has increased to €40 million and that there is no danger to the free travel scheme. The PSO subvention increased by 11% this year and 13% last year and Bus Éireann has benefitted from a 21% increase in its subvention in 2016. The subvention applies to PSO services only and cannot under law be provided for commercial services. If Expressway is losing €50,000 per day, it is a matter that needs to be addressed. The WRC stands ready to negotiate and discuss with the union and the board.

The Ministers for Transport, Tourism and Sport and Social Protection have already made it perfectly clear and have advised their officials to report back very quickly on the funding of the free travel scheme, to which there is no danger. There is no amount of ministerial action that will resolve the issues internal to Bus Éireann. These issues can only be resolved through direct and realistic negotiations between employer and employees. In respect of rural Ireland, it has already been made perfectly clear that any changes to the Expressway services will be taken up by the National Transport Authority, which will step in and assist in cases where connectivity is threatened. Some Deputies alleged last week that this was an attack on rural Ireland. The public bus service in rural Ireland is expanding through increasing the amount of PSO funding to Bus Éireann and providing a 24% increase in funding for the rural transport scheme. I hope everybody will assess this seriously and take the WRC-----

See this speech in context