Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The time has come for tit-for-tat politics to end. It is time for the Government to lead through policy on Bus Éireann. Is it not enough for our public transport system to be at a standstill for 12 days? What is clear is that we are faced with two possible outcomes where either we find a solution to the current crisis or we see Bus Éireann go into examinership and then almost certainly insolvency.

My party's message is simple. We need to get our bus drivers back to work and our public transport system working efficiently. Nobody is asking the Minister to open a blank cheque book. We are simply asking the Minister to put in place a process to ensure there is a favourable outcome for the workers and the public. The bus drivers need to understand the dangers of examinership. They would have no negotiating position and pay cuts and job losses would be far worse. They need the Minister to come to the table. The Minister has said there are mechanisms in place to deal with industrial relations. However, he must now realise this will not be solved by following a set of guidelines. Flexibility is required.

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