Results 8,481-8,500 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: It is obvious that it is the most unprofitable and difficult part of the company. It is patently obvious that it has caused the crisis, but I am not in the business of directing or pushing anybody in any way to make Expressway exit from Bus Éireann. That is not my intention. My intention-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: My opinion is that the two sides should get together and construct a solution in the interests of the taxpayer, the consumer, workers and rural areas. The interests of rural areas are very important. In that sense one cannot just do away with Expressway. What we must do is ensure a profitable service is run and a PSO service also. We have to ensure social needs are met. This is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: The NTA has made it absolutely clear that if Expressway drops any route, it will move to establish connectivity to ensure no community will be abandoned in the way people are suggesting. It will move if it looks as if any rural community is being abandoned as a consequence of the withdrawal of other services.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: I do not like repeating myself.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: As Minister, I take responsibility for a large number of areas. There is an enormous number of responsibilities which I welcome. Let me make it quite plain to the Deputy that one of my responsibilities is distinctively not to get involved in the nitty-gritty of an industrial dispute in various bodies under my aegis. It is specifically not up to me to do so. We have institutions of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: The CEO has said they were not preconditions. What he did do was put out some programme which he was sharing with everybody else. Obviously, as far as I can see - I cannot read his mind - these are negotiating positions. He has stated specifically that they are not preconditions. The trade unions have also stated they would begin discussions without preconditions. Therefore, let us get...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: No. I believe they are negotiating positions, which are completely different.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: There we are.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: The Deputy is perfectly entitled to express that opinion.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: I do not know whether the Deputy heard Deputy Varadkar this morning on "Morning Ireland". Did he?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: Deputy Varadkar said quite specifically that we would engage in discussions on the free travel scheme. This seems to conflict with the conversation Deputy Fitzpatrick had with him. We will engage in discussions on the free travel scheme. I confirm that I have been in touch with the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, I will speak to him and my officials and the Minister will engage on the issue of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: I am very glad the Deputy asked this question because I want to make an absolutely emphatic statement that there is absolutely no suggestion of free travel being taken away from anybody. That is not what is at issue, and anybody who makes that suggestion is either being mischievous or misunderstanding what is going on. This is about how free travel will be funded in respect of Bus...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: I appreciate the Deputy's plea and I know it is genuinely felt. I think it arises from a misunderstanding that I have a role to play in an industrial dispute. I do not have that role. I repeat that I am a shareholder; I am not a party to this industrial dispute. There is nothing I would like to see more than a sensible and satisfactory end to this. It is worrying a large number of bus...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: The issues involved are complicated, and some of the issues that have been raised are not to do with the pay deal. This is a company which needs root-and-branch and cultural changes if it is to compete in the marketplace. Whether this should be called restructuring I do not know because that is a very general word, but there are issues-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: I will answer the question this way: there are issues involved in the public debate which are not exclusively to do with pay, if that is what the Deputy means.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: That is quite possible.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: Which report is the Deputy talking about?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: I do know whether or not I saw it. A series of reports are coming through. If the Deputy is referring to the report of late 2015, which was presented to Deputy Paschal Donohoe, I was briefed on it. I was not in office at that time. I was briefed on it as I have been briefed on many of the reports to which Deputy Troy has referred. I did not send for it because I was not in office at the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: During the course of 2016, Bus Éireann worked on developing a business plan to address the loss-making situation in its commercial Expressway business. Several drafts of Bus Éireann's proposals were presented to my Department and NewERA, my Department's financial advisers, and were discussed. These discussions highlighted some shortcomings that existed in the draft proposals. In...