Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his question. He is anticipating something a little prematurely but I will, of course, take into account what he has to say. I share his disappointment regarding last week’s news that the discussions between unions and Iarnród Éireann led by the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, ended without agreement.

I have responsibility for policy and overall funding for public transport. As I have previously stated, the State already makes a very large and recurring contribution to Iarnród Éireann. This year, that will amount to more than €300 million in current and capital expenditure.

As the Deputy knows, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport. Industrial relations and pay are a matter for the company and its employees. Pay disputes have to be solved by engagement between employers and staff. The State can assist through the normal industrial relations machinery available in these circumstances, and the Labour Court and Workplace Relations Commission are the appropriate fora for these discussions.

As I stated in response to previous questions+ and as the Deputy will be aware, I previously committed to meeting with trade unions in the transport sector once industrial relations disputes were fully resolved. A meeting took place on 10 July and proved useful and informative to me and the trade unions. The purpose of the meeting was to allow trade unions an opportunity to outline any issues of concern about policy as may have been expressed in recent months. I again made it clear at that meeting that it was not appropriate for me to be involved in industrial relations negotiations. They and others expressed their views on this matter very strongly and eloquently.

It is disappointing that the discussions at the WRC did not reach agreement recently. Everyone knows this situation will require these discussions to continue in order for a resolution to be found.

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