Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach has been here before. The Minister, Deputy Flanagan, will be here tomorrow for statements on the North. The Government is committed to protecting and advancing Ireland's cause across Europe. Nobody wants the return of a hard Border. As the Taoiseach says, nobody wants to see the creation of a new border in the future. The Government will defend the Good Friday Agreement as we have always done. We are working with Mr. Juncker and Mr. Tusk and if one reads their recent comments, one cannot but be heartened by the importance Ireland has been given in their remarks. The position paper will be published by Government before 29 April. We will have a very strong case across Europe but it requires the support of all parties. I commend the Labour Party on its position paper. Deputy Donnelly is Fianna Fáil's newly created spokesman on Brexit. I am sure we will all work together to ensure Ireland has a united voice. We should all wear the green jersey. We should not put naked political partisanship up the pole but should all stand to fight for Ireland.

Senators Ardagh, Gavan, Bacik and Wilson raised the issue of Bus Éireann. I reiterate the remarks I made yesterday. Nobody is winning in this dispute. Nobody wants to see an all-out ballot of any union - in this case the bus workers - or of Dublin Bus or Irish Rail. It is in no one's interest. As Members have said, it is not in the interest of the workers, the company or the travelling public. There is an absolute certainty here. There is a need for management and unions to re-engage. I appeal today to all sides to take part in talks.The Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, and the Labour Court are available. Let us use their good offices to engage in talks to resolve the issue. It is time we had movement by both sides in talking again. Members of the House keep repeating an old chestnut. The Government has given €230 million in the PSO levy. If one includes rural transport services, the total investment comes to €277 million. Funding was increased in the past two budgets and the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Leo Varadkar, is examining the provision of funding for the free travel scheme. From my reading of it, the core of the issue is efficiency. Such issues are best resolved at the WRC. Everybody wants the dispute to be resolved. I agree with Senator Diarmuid Wilson in that I do not want management in Bus Éireann to keep the dispute going to the point where a solution cannot be found. I appeal to it to be the first, if necessary, to accept the need for talks and re-engage. The pillorying of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Shane Ross, will not solve the problem. He might be a very handy-----