Written answers

Wednesday, 20 April 2016

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

Industrial Disputes

Photo of Bríd SmithBríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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527. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has or will meet with officials of Transport Infrastructure Ireland, given the seriousness of the Luas dispute. [7796/16]

Photo of Bríd SmithBríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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528. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport given that Transdev Ireland has repatriated almost €10 million in profits back to the parent company in France from the Luas operation since 2009, and considering that Transport Infrastructure Ireland and its predecessor, the Railway Procurement Agency, have boasted of the success of Luas and its role in helping the agencies post profits, if this does not highlight the need for Transport Infrastructure Ireland to immediately negotiate with Transdev Ireland with a view to insuring that Luas workers achieve a just settlement of their dispute. [7797/16]

Photo of Bríd SmithBríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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529. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is aware of plans by Transdev to issue protective notice to Luas workers, given the ongoing dispute, and that in a letter from the company, the employment of the workers was drawn into question if they continued to engage in strike action; his views that the right to strike and collective bargaining are effectively being challenged in this correspondence from Transdev. [7798/16]

Photo of Bríd SmithBríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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530. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his role and that of Transport Infrastructure Ireland regarding Transdev's actions and if Transport Infrastructure Ireland was made aware of Transdev's stance with regard to workers prior to its public announcement. [7799/16]

Photo of Bríd SmithBríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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531. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is aware that one of main stumbling blocks to the acceptance of the Workplace Relations Commission proposals in the Transdev dispute was the clause to significantly worsen the pay and conditions for new drivers; his views regarding this proposal, given that current workers' starting salaries are below the average industrial wage and that such workers would have trouble renting homes or taking out mortgages in the Dublin area, . [7800/16]

Photo of Paschal DonohoePaschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 527 to 531, inclusive, together.

I will also forward question number [7799]  to TII for direct reply. Please contact my office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

I last met with TII on 11 January 2016. My Department receives regular updates and briefing from the National Transport Authority (NTA) and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) on all relevant issues including the current Luas dispute.

As part of these updates and briefing that I have been receiving in relation to the dispute, I was aware of the possibility of Transdev, taking certain measures but I should stress that my consent was not required. I have no shareholder role in the case of Transdev. I have already indicated that I do not personally agree with measures to recover strike costs from workers.

As Minister, I have no function in relation to the employment, or terms and conditions of employment, of  Transdev employees. Nor does NTA or TII have any employment relationship with Transdev employees.  They are employees of Transdev, a private company.  This dispute is between employees, as represented by SIPTU, and their employer, Transdev.  It is up to those two parties to reach a resolution with each other. 

I believe that any intervention by me, or indeed others without a legal function or role in this dispute, is not helpful. Resolution of the dispute lies with the employer and the employees. The State has well established industrial relations institutions which are ready to assist the relevant parties in reaching a mutually acceptable agreement. In that regard I welcome the news that bilateral talks are taking place this week between Transdev and its employees.

I have been clear however that whatever resolution is arrived at between Transdev and its employees must be delivered within the overall contractual framework Transdev has with the State. There cannot be, and there will not be, any change to that contract which runs until November 2019. I will not be opening the chequebook on behalf of the taxpayer in this matter. My focus is to protect the interests of the taxpayer and the travelling public, and to encourage the parties to work to resolve their differences in a manner that is fair, affordable, and sustainable.

Photo of Bríd SmithBríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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532. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport why the current contract between Transdev Ireland and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, previously Railway Procurement Agency, did not contain any provision for a new wage agreement with the Luas workforce; if he and Transport Infrastructure Ireland were aware at the time of the awarding of this contract that Luas workers like most of the country’s workers had not had a wage increase in many years and had in fact being seeking negotiations with Transdev over pay and conditions. [7801/16]

Photo of Bríd SmithBríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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533. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is aware or concerned that while Transdev ignored the attempts of their workers to negotiate such a claim, that the State's agencies, both Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the National Transport Authority, were deciding to award the Luas contract to Transdev; given this, his views that claims by him and the agencies that they have no role in this dispute are spurious and that the awarding of this contract was premised on effectively freezing out the workers who operate the system and excluding them for advancing legitimate attempts to improve their pay and conditions. [7802/16]

Photo of Paschal DonohoePaschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 532 and 533 together.

As Minister, I have no function in relation to either the employment of Transdev staff or their terms and conditions of employment.  Nor does NTA or TII have any  employment relationship with those workers.  They are employees of Transdev, which is a private company. The current dispute is between employees, as represented by SIPTU, and their employer, Transdev. It is up to those two parties  to reach a resolution with each other.

As the issues raised  by the Deputy are relevant to the public procurement and contractual arrangments with Transdev, which are the responsibility of  the National Transport Authority in conjunction with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, I have forwarded the Deputy's questions to the National Transport Authority for direct reply.  Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.

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