Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Despite what Senator Barrett has said on numerous occasions, the Department does not have all encompassing powers in regard to all bus operators. That would be a matter between them and their employees. From a legal point of view, the Attorney General is quite happy with this. This empowers the National Transport Authority. I want to re-emphasise that it is not a draconian move but it is for people who drive a considerable amount for their living. The detail of that will have to be dealt with through the regulatory role of the National Transport Authority and this is to empower it to do that.

The purpose of the university Senators is to seek the advice of their colleagues and my colleagues in the law school in TCD find this in breach of everything in terms of people's right to privacy and they see it as breaching the European Convention on Human Rights and as a way to assist incumbents at the expense of the part-timers. Could we not have it in contracts of employment that people who drive buses cannot drive rather than a blanket ban on everybody else from driving and requiring them to register that with their current employer? The Department, either advertently or inadvertently, is trying to get rid of the part-timers who perform such a valuable role.