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RollingNews.ie

Talks aim to avert Dart stoppages after drivers back strike over 10-minute service

The two sides of the dispute disagree over whether plans for a more frequent service constitute a productivity issue.

TALKS AIMED AT averting a strike by Dart drivers get underway at the Workplace Relations Commission today.

The discussions come after Siptu members voted to back strike action in the event that Irish Rail management goes ahead with plans to introduce a more frequent train service from next month.

The company says the planned increase in weekday Dart frequency from every 15 to 10 minutes will mean more trains for customers and more jobs for drivers.

Siptu and the NBRU, which also represents drivers, have a number of concerns about the proposed new service, including the higher workload that could be created for their members.

The unions argue that any roster changes should form part of discussions on increasing productivity and not be introduced without staff approval.

But Irish Rail said today that additional drivers have been trained to ensure the improved service can be delivered within existing rostering parameters.

“An extra 1.6 million passenger journeys were made by Dart in 2015 against two years previously, a growth of over 10%, demonstrating the need for the additional services,” the company said in a statement.

“As new drivers have been trained, the delivery of the enhanced schedule is not a productivity issue as claimed by Siptu and the NBRU,” it added.

The company said it hoped the unions will engage with timetable changes at a local level so that the new service can be introduced without delay on 10 April.

Read: Paul Murphy accuses Luas operator of strike-breaking in ‘vicious, Thatcherite’ manner

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62 Comments
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    Mute Fionn Bohane
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    Mar 14th 2016, 12:01 PM

    I don’t see the problem

    203
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    Mute John
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    Mar 14th 2016, 1:14 PM

    My friend who is a dart driver said they are being asked to operate a tea/coffee trolley and drive the train at the same time. Hardly fair.

    25
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    Mute John
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    Mar 14th 2016, 1:18 PM

    Higher workload????

    Are the drivers pulling the train?

    Give me a break, just do the job you are fckin paid which is to direct a train along a straight rail forwards and stop getting involved in decisions designed to improve the service. STOP inconveniencing the general public.

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    Mute Wally Mooney
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    Mar 14th 2016, 1:22 PM

    It’s good to see the working class finally begin to struggle again after 8 years of austerity imposed on us to pay for the banker’s debts.

    It’s a pity however that the main unions like SIPTU and IMPACT did not flex their muscles much earlier in 2008 to defend the welfare of millions of ordinary Irish people. Unfortunately most of the union leadership like Jack O Connor, Shay Coady etc is long bought and paid for and have held their unions largely inactive on the sidelines as the nation has been ransacked for 8 years to pay for the failure of speculative financial capitalism. We’ve all suffered the consequences of that betrayal and will do so for generations.

    The unions could have done the Irish people a great service had they implemented a prolonged general strike to grind the country to a halt when the bank guarantee/bailout was first proposed as the cost this of vast fraud would inevitably fall on the backs of their members and the rest of the working class, exactly as occurred.

    28
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    Mute John Quinn
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    Mar 14th 2016, 1:38 PM

    Drivers are not actually required on Dart trains. They can be operated from Central Control in Connolly station. The only reason there are no automated darts is management fear of the unions.

    90
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    Mute Blah blah
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    Mar 14th 2016, 1:40 PM

    John, excuse my ignorance but I have never seen a coffee cart on a dart??? Am I getting the wrong darts!? I know they have them on the intercity trains

    60
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    Mute alphanautica
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    Mar 14th 2016, 1:47 PM

    The waffles and croissants on my Dart are superb and the driver always has a free newspaper for me a few pleasant words in the morning. Friday’s he does omelettes.

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    Mute lavbeer
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    Mar 14th 2016, 2:01 PM
    18
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    Mute Jimmy jones
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    Mar 14th 2016, 3:27 PM

    Wally – this 10 minute dart interval is those pesky “banksters” and “neoliberals” mucking around again

    WIll they ever give you and the AAA a minute of peace !

    47
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    Mute North Korean General
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    Mar 14th 2016, 3:56 PM

    Wally I once had a well paid job in Irish Ferries but SIPTU destroyed that…..
    The vultures are circling the last bastion of trade unionism, CIE, and if SIPTU perform to the usual standard I’m screwed again!!!!!

    39
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    Mute John
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    Mar 14th 2016, 4:47 PM

    They’ll be selling tea, coffee and various snacks… he said its hard enough drive the train never mind the trolley. They will be driving the train with virtual reality headsets like they use on the luas whilst piloting the tea trolley. Extra work should mean extra pay, I’m with the drivers on this one.

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    Mute Alias Smith & Jones
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    Mar 14th 2016, 6:58 PM

    Hahahaha…….

    3
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    Mute David Flynn
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    Mar 14th 2016, 7:25 PM

    That comment about the darts driving themselves isn’t even a little tiny bit true. They can’t be controlled from anywhere but the drivers cab. By a driver.

    5
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    Mute Seán O'Ceallaghan
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    Mar 14th 2016, 7:33 PM

    Wally could you please define working class, have a feeling your mixing up something here

    6
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    Mute sam 987123
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    Mar 14th 2016, 1:11 PM

    Ah SIPTU. Great work done with driving Brinks into the ground with your nonsensical demands. Now turning their spot light in the transport network. Well done ya idiots

    156
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    Mute John Quinn
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    Mar 14th 2016, 1:45 PM

    @sam 987123; don’t forget all the other companies they have driven out of existence down the years. As a former member at one time I to say they are an absolute disgrace.

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    Mute sam 987123
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    Mar 14th 2016, 6:45 PM

    @john quinn. You are too right sir

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    Mute IrishGravyTrain
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    Mar 14th 2016, 12:12 PM

    SIPTU should be rounded up and arrested.

    137
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    Mute Larissa Caroline Nikolaus
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    Mar 14th 2016, 1:30 PM

    How is it increasing the workload for the driver, if the DARTs run more frequently? They’re still only able to drive one train at a time, I see no reason for a strike, but leave it to SIPTU to protest against a management decision that may actually create additional jobs, just because they like being contrary and are a greedy bunch

    119
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    Mute Seán O'Ceallaghan
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    Mar 14th 2016, 7:31 PM

    I’m confused how the government ever let the unions get so much control the transport sector. Trains/Dartford and luas. Privatise the lot on 5-10 year tenures. All over p

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    Mute Seán O'Ceallaghan
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    Mar 14th 2016, 7:32 PM

    Also train drivers have locked down the job almost impossible for an outsider to ever apply

    7
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    Mute Pissy Lips
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    Mar 14th 2016, 1:22 PM

    Copenhagen: A city slightly smaller than Dublin, runs a driverless metro system 24 hours a day. During peak hours (7am – 10am; 3pm-6pm), the trains run every 120 seconds. Off peak, they run every 240 seconds. Between 12am and 5am the trains run every 15 minutes.

    Fire them. Fire them all.

    116
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    Mute Dylan
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    Mar 14th 2016, 2:06 PM

    Imagine the furore if they decided to go driverless here. Union members going from complaining about too much work to having no work at all.

    66
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    Mute John Quinn
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    Mar 14th 2016, 2:47 PM

    @ Pissy Lips: The DLR in London operates just fine without Drivers. Transport for London intend to shortly convert some Tube lines to automated trains. Eventually the whole system will have driver-less trains.

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    Mute Wally Mooney
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    Mar 14th 2016, 2:57 PM

    Mr. Lips
    Who do you imagine will be paying the driver’s social welfare if they’re fired?

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    Mute Billy@Rangers
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    Mar 14th 2016, 3:02 PM

    You’ll find the metro doesn’t inter act with traffic,I’ve been in Kopenhage stop talking garbage

    9
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    Mute Pissy Lips
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    Mar 14th 2016, 3:13 PM

    They’re already on glorified social welfare Wally, along with half the rest of the civil service. I’d rather my taxes pay someone who contributes nothing €180 a week than €45,000 a year. – it’s the same pot, less money being handed out. Glad to see the AAA addition and subtraction concept is as strong as with the rest of the hard right.

    Let’s pay no tax, have free utility, have world class free services but nobody has to work, we all deserve handouts and everything should be free.

    40
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    Mute Pissy Lips
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    Mar 14th 2016, 3:15 PM

    Well done Billy. If you’ve been there, you could try to spell it, at least get the first letter right. You’ll also find that the DART doesn’t interact with traffic either, there are automated gates, it doesn’t wait at traffic lights like a tram for example. But please, tell me more about talking garbage.

    12
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    Mute Wally Mooney
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    Mar 14th 2016, 3:28 PM

    Mr. Lips,

    It appears that you don’t know your left from your right and yet you’re whining about the spelling of others. Laughable.

    4
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    Mute John R
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    Mar 14th 2016, 3:51 PM

    Pissy Lips, hate to break it to you but DART drivers are not civil servants. They work for a commercial semi-state body and they do things differently in that world.

    8
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    Mute Alan Kennedy
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    Mar 14th 2016, 12:01 PM

    “The unions have a number of concerns about the proposed new service, including the higher workload that could be created for their members.
    They argue that any roster changes should form part of discussions on increasing productivity and not be introduced without staff approval.
    But Irish Rail said today that additional drivers have been trained to ensure the improved service can be delivered within existing rostering parameters.”

    Surely if this can be proven to be the case before the Unions at the Workplace Relations Commission then there is no call for this strike?

    113
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    Mute Not_Rod_Ten©
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    Mar 14th 2016, 12:05 PM

    Wally will be along in a few moments, after he puts his accumulator on for his afternoon pints.

    108
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    Mute Alan Kennedy
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    Mar 14th 2016, 12:11 PM

    Sure we could save him the bother by copying and pasting the same auld s**te from every other article he comments on. “Workers”, “capitalist”, etc…

    65
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    Mute Anto Curran
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    Mar 14th 2016, 12:25 PM

    Don’t forget “neo-blah blah blah”

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    Mute Al Guy
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    Mar 14th 2016, 12:34 PM

    simple solution ..hire more drivers to do the work as they are doing for the Luas.

    then they cant use this argument

    31
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    Mute Steve Tracey
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    Mar 14th 2016, 2:15 PM

    Al guy
    They have hired and trained new drivers as it says in the article so as you rightly say where’s the extra work? Subject LUAS drivers take a look at the miners in UK, the pits we losing money hence the closures and the miners lost out in a big way, houses, cars etc. If a company is losing money then striking doesn’t help. Strange also how other employees have accepted proposals only drivers messing everyone about

    19
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    Mute Paul Dunne
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    Mar 14th 2016, 2:42 PM

    Britain being flooded with cheaper Polish coal had a lot to do with that I don’t think Polish darts and trams will be here anytime soon Al good chap.

    6
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    Mute Jimmy jones
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    Mar 14th 2016, 3:46 PM

    Slavering neoliberals …… working class ……..collective struggle against capital ……. working class ….. collective action ………solidarity …………..struggle …………capitalist system……………….battles fought ….. unions ………..working class………….. capital …….socialist struggle……….profits…. 3 card trickery ………capital………

    12
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    Mute Paul
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    Mar 14th 2016, 12:05 PM

    SIPTU have also served a substantial pay claim on IE similar to Luas

    80
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    Mute Paul Dunne
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    Mar 14th 2016, 12:10 PM

    when and how much paul?

    29
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    Mute William Clay
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    Mar 14th 2016, 12:10 PM

    They can’t organise and run the trains on time as it is. I dread to think what it’ll do to the already woeful commuter train times if they increase the Dart.
    In their 70 year history, did no one in CIE think to build a third track? or a ‘bypass’ line at certain junctions, where the commuter and intercity trains could over take the Darts?
    Then again, they can’t even sync the announcements. In the evenings, by the time the train gets to Malahide , it’s announced were at Dundalk!

    69
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    Mute Mill Miller
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    Mar 14th 2016, 1:04 PM

    An extra 20 mins on trains from Dundalk an Belfast

    1
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    Mute Billy@Rangers
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    Mar 14th 2016, 2:57 PM

    Well William Clay,you do live in a banana republic did you expect anything else?

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    Mute lavbeer
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    Mar 14th 2016, 4:21 PM

    William I will stand corrected but Mosney was the blueprint ?

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    Mute KM TON
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    Mar 14th 2016, 12:11 PM

    Seems to be a case of trying I create a problem when none is there, unless large chunks of this issue are missing??

    Maybe they’d have preferred an increase in their salary rather than the extra trained staff. can’t win either way!

    61
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    Mute Dean Anderson
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    Mar 14th 2016, 2:48 PM

    unions are not interested in more jobs or getting the unemployed of the dole and never have been. Its all about getting more money for there members. Simple as. when theyextended the Dart carriages they wanted more money. Greed pure and simple fuelled by overpaid union leaders with the fake Dublin accents

    40
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    Mute proctor
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    Mar 14th 2016, 4:05 PM

    What has their accents got to do with it?

    2
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    Mute Paul Kane
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    Mar 14th 2016, 1:11 PM

    As with the whole LUAS farce it is time for the next Government to ban strikes on mass transport infrastructure.

    39
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    Mute Paul Dunne
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    Mar 14th 2016, 2:10 PM

    and in health education and police paul.

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    Mute Billy@Rangers
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    Mar 14th 2016, 2:59 PM

    Paul Kane has all the right wing answers,well done Paul

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    Mute Paul Kane
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    Mar 14th 2016, 5:42 PM

    Nothing right or left wing about my comments Billy. It’s common sense and protecting workers livelihoods. Why let a small number of pampered unionised workers stop a larger number of workers get to their jobs and put some of those jobs in jeopardy due to losses to their employers.

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    Mute Andrew Clarke
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    Mar 14th 2016, 12:51 PM

    Where’s Wally????

    30
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    Mute Can't Think of One
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    Mar 14th 2016, 2:09 PM

    They should bring Tony Soprano’s crew out of retirement and get them over here to sort things out.

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    Mute Ace
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    Mar 14th 2016, 6:07 PM

    Good old Siptu. They have had a busy year so far.

    6
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    Mute Fred Coloe
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    Mar 14th 2016, 4:01 PM

    Darts every 10 mins??? The barriers will never be up if that’s the case. Dublin will officially become a giant car park. Lunacy

    5
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    Mute Shannon McGraynor
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    Mar 14th 2016, 4:59 PM

    How about more commuter trains?! 4/5 trains from Rosslare to Dublin and vice versa is NOT enough.

    5
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    Mute Rebecca De Stanleigh
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    Mar 14th 2016, 5:35 PM

    Maybe they would have a leg to stand on if they actually were part of an efficient company. As it stands the DART is as useless as a radiator in Saudi Arabia. Get your act together!!!

    3
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    Mute Search Eagle
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    Mar 14th 2016, 7:19 PM

    Just another notch on the bedpost of CIE failure.

    Their demands will likely be met, as the government dips into working people’s pockets to lavish well paid drivers with unwarranted increases. No wonder the Luas drivers feel unfairly treated when they’ve seen what CIE staff have been able to get away with!

    3
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    Mute Mick Mccomiskey
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    Mar 14th 2016, 5:24 PM

    I see major problems down the road now that CIE Buses and Trains have put in for a increase.

    3
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    Mute Martin Gallagher
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    Mar 14th 2016, 6:37 PM

    All on for better service but with our train signaling system? Think I’d prefer driver intervention rather than ‘Johnny Cabs’ intervention, thanks very much.

    1
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