Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not have a date for publication of the rail review, but the Deputy will be aware that there have been many other publications of rail reviews in the not too distant past. Today is the second day of the train strike. I understand the unions have now announced plans for three more strike days in the next few weeks. I agree with the Deputy that the strike is very much to be regretted. Some 150,000 passengers are being inconvenienced today - people who are trying to get to work, to go about their daily business and to get to hospital appointments. Of course, others are being very badly affected, too, in buses that are more crowded and because of much heavier traffic on the streets. Also, staff have lost income. People with associated businesses in train stations are losing out, too. The strike has further undermined the company's financial position. However, I have no doubt that, as is the case with all strikes in CIÉ involving train and bus services, the strike will be resolved. It will be resolved in the normal way, under the auspices of the State through the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, and, if need be, the Labour Court. Certainly, I encourage both the unions and management to engage with the WRC or the Labour Court, as necessary, and let us have the strike settled and resolved there, as it always is. It is regrettable that, when it comes to CIÉ, for some reason it is always necessary to have a few days of strike action when other disputes can be resolved at the WRC or the Labour Court without a strike, but the time has certainly come for the unions and management to engage with the WRC or the Labour Court. Let us settle the strike and avoid further inconvenience, loss of income or damage to the company.

It is absolutely the case that during the recession funding for Iarnród Éireann was cut back significantly.

It is important to tell the story of the last three years. Over the past three years, there has been a 35% increase in the subvention for Irish Rail, which is significant relative to other public bodies. The numbers of passengers has increased, which means more fares are coming into the company. Fares have also increased. The company has benefitted in three ways from additional revenue. There has been additional subvention, more passengers and higher fares.

The question which now arises is how those resources should be spent. Should they be spent on shoring up the financial position of the company, paying down its debt in order to secure jobs and services into the future? Should the money be used to improve services for passengers, such as more trains more frequently? Should it be used to fund pay increases? From the tone of the Deputy's question, I think he shares the view that the money should go into investment in services, the company and infrastructure.

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