Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I must now deal with a postponed division relating to the motion regarding Bus Éireann. On Tuesday, 31 January 2017, on the question that the amendment to the motion be agreed to, a division was claimed, and in accordance with Standing Order 70(2), that division must be taken now.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Is amendment No. 3 being pressed?

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I move amendment No. 3:

(a) To insert the following after “struggled to compete with new market entrants in recent years;”:

“ — Bus Éireann’s commercial service, Expressway, has suffered from falling revenues in part due to saturation of the market owing to poor licencing practice by the National Transport Authority;” and

(b) To insert the following after “amendments by Bus Éireann and private operators”:

“— demonstrate leadership by agreeing to intervene in the crisis and recommend to Bus Éireann management that proposed cost-cutting measures are set aside to allow for negotiations between all stakeholders;

— commit to carrying out and publishing a full review of operations of the Expressway service and the Expressway market;

— commit, in conjunction with the NTA, to carry out and publish a review of loss-making routes on which private carriers currently operate, including the number of private licences issued on these routes, when these licences were issued and when these routes ceased to make a profit due to oversaturation, and to provide for the NTA to review the renewal of such licences that are making a loss; and

—commit to publishing details of routes and services that have been identified for potential closure.”

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Is amendment No. 1 being pressed?

Brendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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I move amendment No. 1:

To insert the following after “Bus Éireann and private operators”:

- ensure a level playing field for all operators, avoid a race to the bottom and safeguard the interests of workers by committing to a sectoral employment order setting out minimum pay rates, as well as pension and sick pay schemes for employees across the sector.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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In view of the fact the Fianna Fáil Party is not nominating tellers, and having regard to Standing Order 72, when one party fails to provide tellers, it is considered that the proposal is carried. I deem amendment No. 1 carried.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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I move amendment No. 2:

To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following:

“recognises that:— Bus Éireann’s financially parlous state arises in large measure from the legacy of a cut to the State subsidy which in 2016 was still €12 million less than 2009 levels;

— this has been further compounded by a financial contribution from the Department of Social Protection for free travel that is completely inadequate when approximately 30% of all passengers availed of free travel in 2016;

— the absence of an employment regulation order for the coach sector, the proliferation of licences issued by the National Transport Authority for inter-city routes and the absence of a proper inspectorate into the running of private coach operations has fuelled a ‘race to the bottom’ based on the more intensive exploitation of workers;

— the workers, from whom a cut in take home pay of up to 30% is being demanded under threat of the closure of the company, are blameless for the financial position of Bus Éireann;

— the performance of an adequately funded comprehensive inter-city and rural bus network cannot be discerned from its balance sheet but by the connectivity it provides for rural communities and the elderly, the reduction of carbon emissions and easing traffic congestion; and

— the position of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Government on the Bus Éireann dispute runs contrary to the aspirations they claim are enshrined in the Action Plan for Rural Ireland;calls on the Government to:— commit to the importance of a public sector transport network that is adequately funded;

— reverse the cuts in the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport subsidy, as a first step, and increase the Department of Social Protection contribution towards the free travel commensurate with the patronising of Bus Éireann by those entitled to free travel;

— not apply any charge towards the free travel pass on the elderly and other vulnerable groups; and

— introduce an employment regulation order for the bus sector with pay and conditions no lower than those currently enjoyed by Bus Éireann workers; andviews strike action by the workers as an entirely appropriate response to the actions of Bus Éireann management and commits to support them in their struggle to save their jobs, pay and conditions.”