Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Before I speak briefly on the substance of the Bill, I agree with the points made by Senator Leyden and I thank him for making them. It is an issue I have already commented on publicly today and I made an intervention on Tuesday on this matter. I am very proud to have both of these great and very important companies under my stewardship. I understand their employees have legitimate concerns about the future and changes which could happen. For this very reason I made clear on Tuesday, and I have given this mandate to both companies, that in the event of either company not being successful in winning the tender for the number of routes at focus, no worker will be required to transfer. Given that no worker will be required to transfer, the issues which have been raised about the terms and conditions of employees have been dealt with. It is the type of intervention that in every other industrial relations dispute of its kind would have resulted in its resolution. It is imperative, and I repeat to the Seanad what I have said elsewhere, that these strikes are called off. The amount of upheaval they will cause tomorrow will be immense. At a time when both companies are getting back on their feet, were these strikes to go ahead in the way suggested, they will have substantial costs and consequences for both companies which will be of a magnitude such that it may well be very difficult for me to contain them. I say these words carefully because of how conscious I am of all the progress both companies have made.

With regard to the Bill, I thank my officials who have been working on it. A huge amount of work has gone into it. Work has gone into a number of areas, not only on the Bill itself, which is substantial, but a huge amount of work has also been done by officials in the Department to deal with all the matters Senators referred to when discussing the Bill with regard to human relations, industrial relations and coming up with an environment within which, I am very pleased to say, the overwhelming majority of employees voted on their own matters being successfully dealt with through a process led by the Labour Relations Commission. The officials played a big role in this and I thank them for it.

Senator O'Neill made the point that the Bill is designed to put in place an organisation of the right size for the size of the country, which will play a leading role in delivering and designing the infrastructure the country needs. No amendments have been tabled on Report Stage but I wanted to deal with it today in case any Senators wanted to table amendments. Senator Barrett raised some points with me and I know he is dealing with other matters in the Oireachtas today. The matters he raised last week in the Seanad are well capable of being dealt with under the existing provisions of the Bill. I thank Senators for their contributions and I look forward to the prompt establishment of the new organisation.