Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is characterising this dispute as being just like any other industrial dispute, that it is all about the terms and conditions of workers, and asking why the two sides do not just get together, talk it out and negotiate a settlement. As he knows, this dispute is far more complex than that. The message that he is sending to the workers is that they will have to carry the entire burden of this deficit. That is not a sustainable or tenable position. The Minister needs to signal that he is prepared to engage in meaningful talks on a parallel basis with the key stakeholders - the company, the NTA and the Department of Social Protection in respect of the free travel scheme. The Minister's Department needs to be at the heart of that. A proper, sustainable plan for Bus Éireann is necessary, but there is none. The Minister cannot expect the entirety of the burden to be carried by the workers. Deal with that. The Minister should face up to his responsibilities.

The impact on Cork city and its suburbs has been extremely serious for traders, passengers and, not least, the workers, who have been without pay for 12 days. Please deal with it.

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