Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It seems the Minister is almost as deluded as his colleague, the Minister, Deputy Ross. To describe the current fiasco as "very real progress" is really extreme even by the standards of his Government. Of course, the Minister, Deputy Ross, has previous form in looking the other way and sitting out his responsibilities. We saw how he did that with the Dublin Bus dispute last autumn. I invite the Minister, Deputy Bruton, to come out of his little bubble - perhaps even his Dublin bubble - and cast his eye beyond to understand that quite aside from the intercity services, which are now buckled, cities outside of Dublin have come to a virtual standstill. It is hurting businesses, families and communities and the Government does not seem to care. It seems to think it is a tenable position for a Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to opt out of resolving a massive transport dispute.

This is not simply an ordinary industrial relations dispute. This goes much deeper than that. This is actually a public policy crisis. The workers, the unions, the management and the Government know that. Yet, the Government seems prepared, in the case of the Minister, Deputy Ross, to sit it out and, in the case of the Minister, Deputy Bruton, to brazen it out. That is not good enough. At what point does the Minister, Deputy Ross, come off the benches, get onto the pitch and play his correct role?

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