Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I ask Members of the House to remember that Captain Mark Duffy's funeral is taking place today. I commend Senator Swanick on the volunteer role that he is playing in Mayo. I neglected to reply to him on this matter during yesterday's Order of Business. We all pray that the bodies of the two other crew members will be found and returned to their families. We should all remember, acknowledge and pay tribute to the men and women in the Irish Coast Guard who do tremendous work in very difficult situations and circumstances.

Senators Ardagh, Craughwell, Ó Ríordáin and Mulherin have raised the issue of Bus Éireann. I reiterate that everybody wants the dispute to end and it is of no benefit to the company, especially its staff, bus drivers, workers and their families. All of us, irrespective of our political viewpoint, want the dispute resolved. The only way to resolve the dispute is for all sides to sit around a table and engage in a meaningful conversation on an efficiency plan that will lead to buses going back on the streets, the workers back at work and a service provided to the travelling public. The points made by Senators Ó Ríordáin and Mulherin are worth noting. They offered suggestions rather than call for the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to intervene, which has been the only mantra for some Senators.

In terms of the PSO levy and free travel, the Minster for Social Protection is considering the funding and the free travel scheme. He has always acted and I am sure he will act again in this case. I remind Members that the PSO levy has been increased in the past two budgets.

Senator Mulherin made the pertinent point, and I make this appeal as Leader of the House, that management should manage and show leadership in terms of this issue. They should extend the hand of conversation and dialogue to the workers and unions. I appeal to the management team to initiate talks again and engage in a meaningful way with the workers. As Senator Gavan and others alluded to yesterday, management is attempting, which I hope is not true, to run this dispute into the ground. I plead with management not to engage in that practice. This dispute is a serious issue and requires the people in charge to take their role seriously. I urge them to engage now and extend an invitation to workers to re-engage in talks.