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

Why are the plans referred to the Minister and the Department if he does not need to approve them? Does he approve of the restructuring plans being put forward, "Yes" or "No"? What is the Minister's opinion on the board and management of Bus Éireann seeking legal advice on reckless trading? If the plan is not implemented, I am told that the board and directors could be held up for reckless trading. Surely, as the main shareholder in a semi-State body, the Minister has responsibility if he feels a company is trading recklessly. He has abdicated his responsibilities in respect of this matter. Total inaction in recent months on the part of the Minister and the Department - this stretches back years if the Minister's predecessor's time in office is included - has led us to a situation where we are at the edge of the cliff. The unions and the workers were not alone in contributing to the huge deficit in Bus Éireann. As the Minister will acknowledge, the company requires structural reform and he, the NTA and the various stakeholders have a role to play in that regard.

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