Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

Let us talk about Go-Ahead, the company that, under the Minister's watch, has been allowed take over these routes. Go-Ahead starts its bus drivers on €28,000. How is one meant to buy a house in this city or any other city in this country on such a wage? The top rate of pay is €32,000. That is €14,000 less than a Bus Éireann worker could earn after a number of years of service. There are no break facilities. Obviously, the Minister thinks it is fine for a bus driver to pull in and eat a sandwich on the side of the road. In reality, drivers have been leaving the company en masse. They were not able to take over last week the routes they were meant to take over. They are working a 12-hours-a-day roster whereas 11 hours is meant to be the maximum. It just will not work. We have already seen the Ryanair model fall apart. I know the chief executive officer is a good friend of the Minister. There is a revolt by workers and employees of Ryanair against that type of model, and this will not work either.

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