Seanad debates

Thursday, 23 February 2017

10:30 am

Photo of Robbie GallagherRobbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

A national bus strike now seems inevitable. The financial challenges of Bus Éireann are not new, nor are the State's obligations under the public service obligation agreement. It is estimated that 110,000 people per day use Bus Éireann services. The bus is a vital mode of transport in rural areas and it allows people to travel to do business, students to travel to college, and families to visit one another in various parts of the country. Some rural communities would find it very difficult to exist without the Bus Éireann service.

The Government was told over a year ago that the company faced economic challenges but it did not act on them. We now face a serious transport crisis. Bus Éireann has a debt of €9.4 million this year. The most recent reports indicate it may even face insolvency in the next few months. The Minister, Deputy Ross, can no longer afford to ignore this extremely serious matter. We accept that Ministers cannot resolve disputes but Ministers can give direction. They can give a direction on a political and policy commitment to meeting the obligations under the public service obligation agreement. I call on the Minister to initiate all-party talks on this matter to identify a solution. He can simply no longer afford to ignore it. He seems to be announcing anything at all to distract from having to deal with the real issue, the Bus Éireann dispute.

In order to save €1.1 million, Bus Éireann is proposing to shut down three routes, in each case affecting rural areas. This might be only the tip of the iceberg. While the unions are open to reforming their practices to make some savings - we have to accept that - their biggest fear is that the people they represent will be expected to do the same work for a lower salary. I refer to getting a worker who will not agree to massive salary cuts in order that a company can save money. I ask the Government to take the issue of Bus Éireann as seriously as it took the Luas strike. Great efforts were made, and rightly so, to resolve that dispute. It could have had a huge impact on this city. Rural areas deserve the same attention. Nothing has been done to resolve the bus dispute. The people of rural areas deserve no less than their cousins in this city.

I ask the Deputy Leader to outline to the people what the Government will actually do to prevent Bus Éireann from becoming insolvent this year. I ask her to confirm whether the Government will have any input into trying to find a resolution to this dispute.

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