Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Question 55: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps he will take in the current dispute between a company (details supplied) and its permanent workforce in Dún Laoghaire calling on the company to insure that all redundancies sought will be purely voluntary and that those workers who wish to seek redeployment or remain with the company will be accommodated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1632/12]

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Question 65: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will intervene in the current dispute between Stena and its permanent workforce in Dún Laoghaire calling on the company to insure that all redundancies sought will be purely voluntary and that those workers who wish to seek redeployment or remain with the company will be accommodated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1635/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 55 and 65 together.

Officials from my Department maintain regular contact with the ports and various shipping companies and have been kept apprised of Stena Line's most recent adjustments to its services. I recently met senior executives from the company. However, I do not have any function with regard to commercial operational matters.

Stena Line's current contract with Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company was renewed in 2011. Stena Line, as a commercial company, has taken a decision to introduce greater efficiencies and reduce their overall operating overheads in order to continue to provide services from Dún Laoghaire according to Stena Lines. The HSS Stena Explorer, operating on the Dún Laoghaire-Holyhead route, generates most of its turnover during the period May to September. Stena say that this, coupled with high fuel operating costs, leaves the remaining months commercially unviable. The company also say that, as a result, it will continue to operate the route, but on a seasonal basis only, from April to September 2012, leading to a consequential reduction in port operations jobs.

The company has been in consultations with their staff and their trade union representatives over the last three months, and more recently, with the Labour Court. The company have informed me that there is no scope for retaining or redeploying staff as there are no Stena vacancies to be filled. I understand that many staff have indicated their interest in accepting the redundancy terms on offer.

I also understand that negotiations are ongoing and the company has deferred the most recent proposed redundancy termination dates while the Labour Court continues to explore matters.

Question No. 56 answered with Question No. 23.

Question No. 57 answered with Question No. 49.

Question No. 58 answered with Question No. 21.