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Updated 12:40pm
THIS MORNING, Minister for Transport Shane Ross appeared before an Oireachtas Committee to discuss the impending Bus Éireann strike, rejecting claims that he and his department weren’t doing enough on the issue.
On Monday, Bus Éireann workers issued notice that they would go on indefinite strike from next Monday. Ross has faced repeated calls to intervene personally to help resolve the dispute after talks at the Workplace Relations Commission failed to find a breakthrough.
He said he particularly wanted to “rebut suggestions that [he was] not doing enough to enable a settlement to be reached” between Bus Éireann and the trade unions involved.
He rejected any assertion that he, or his government colleagues, are “seeking a very low cost employment model” for Bus Éireann, adding that this is not the case.
On numerous occasions under questioning from Committee members, Ross rejected calls for him to personally intervene in the dispute, saying that he “wouldn’t get involved” and wouldn’t “take sides”.
Rural plan
Ross began by rejecting claims that the level of public service obligation (PSO) funding for bus routes around the country was insufficient, saying it had increased by 11% last year and that Bus Éireann had benefitted from a 21% increase in its subvention in 2016.
He said that both his department and Leo Varadkar’s Department of Social Protection were looking at the issue of funding for the Free Travel Scheme.
The Minister also rejected the allegation made by opposition TDs that the government is “attacking” the public bus service in rural Ireland. “That’s nonsense,” he said.
“We need to stop confusing issues here,” he added.
We’re actually expanding the public bus service in rural Ireland through increasing the amount of PSO funding to Bus Éireann as I’ve already pointed out, and also providing a 24% increase in funding to the Rural Transport Programme.
“The vast majority of people in rural Ireland who use a bus travel on a PSO service or a commercial operator other than Expressway,” he added, saying that he hoped to increase PSO funding this year.
Yesterday, the National Transport Authority announced plans to step in and fill the gaps on planned route closures, such as the Athlone-Westport Expressway route.
Refusal to intervene
Fine Gael TD for Louth Peter Fitzpatrick was up first with questions and was the first to ask Shane Ross to personally intervene in the industrial dispute.
Fitzpatrick said: “The dispute is escalating. A situation no one wants to see. What are you personally doing to help fix this? I urge you to take a more active role.
We face a very real possibility that Bus Éireann will fold. We need your intervention now.
Ross replied: “I have consistently said I won’t intervene directly. I have urged them to come to the table, which they did last week.
“I don’t feel it would be the right thing to do. It would be wrong of me to say I’m on one side or the other.
What I don’t see from people who call for my intervention is what they think my intervention will do. They think I will come into this dispute with money to offer. I don’t have money to offer.
Fianna Fáil TD Robert Troy said that a review of Bus Éireann that the committee received from Ross’ department didn’t address the commercial viability of the Expressway service.
He said he had confidence in the unions and Bus Éireann management, but he added: “I don’t have confidence in you, Minister”.
Ross replied: “I’m very sorry you don’t have confidence in me, Deputy Troy. If you don’t have confidence in me, why are you asking me to go in there?”
Troy said that Ross could redeem himself by establishing a forum for all stakeholders to come together to resolve the dispute.
Ross concurred that all parties should come together, but he shouldn’t attend as he would be asked to do things that he “cannot do”.
People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith said that when the “contagion” on public transport services comes next week, the public would be furious that Ross had taken no action before the strike happens.
“It does not make an iota of sense,” she said. “This will be a national disaster.”
Sinn Féin TD Imelda Munster put it to him in a plainer manner. “Please don’t give me the spiel that you won’t get involved. In the jaws of an all-out strike, you’re still refusing knowing the chaos it will cause. What are you going to do about it?”
She said he had every opportunity to take action on this issue sooner.
Ross retorted that the notion that he had sat back and done nothing was “patently false”.
“I haven’t done the one thing you’ve asked me to do (intervene), but that does not mean inaction on my part,” he said.
Past comments
Social Democrat TD Catherine Murphy asked Ross if, as the government was a shareholder, had he identified if there was sufficient capacity within Bus Éireann to find savings that would resolve this dispute. ”Can they plug the gap?” she asked.
Ross said he hasn’t identified where savings could be made, because it wasn’t his responsibility.
“My view is that the company has to be run on a commercial basis, but the extra revenue it needs to raise must be the responsibility of the company,” he said.
She pointed to a time in 2013, when he addressed a committee and asked the government why, as a shareholder, it had not intervened in a separate dispute.
She also accused him of changing his opinion on the NTA, citing a statement he also was said to have made in 2013: “The NTA is a captive; it’s a quick learner of the quango culture. Set up to supervise Irish transport’s shambles… It serves a real purpose and shields the government from the political charge that the government puts up public transport fares.”
He responded by asking how many political parties Murphy has been a member of, and she said “attack is the best form of defence”.
“I congratulate you on your versatility, as you congratulate mine,” Ross said.
He added that he was optimistic that savings could be found and that Expressway had a future. “I am confident it can be done,” he said.
The responsibility for Bus Éireann’s cost savings was not his, but their own management, Ross argued.
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The best paid bus drivers in the world, throwing money at CIE never works
They did it with RTE didn’t they?
They did it with CIE for 20 years before they stopped it in 2008.
@Paul: CIE apparently make a €300m loss per year which is made up by the gov so they can run unprofitable but community orientated service along side other viable routes.
Bus Éireann increased its service between Dublin and Rosslaire, AFTER AND ONLY AFTER Wexford Bus started. Bus Éireann charge €19 single, Wexford Bus €17, and wexford bus is ontime.
IF a service provider offers poor service, people will not use it when an alternative is available.
If the service provider offered a cost effective, timely, professional service, people would start to use it.
Why is it always public sector first and everyone else second? Yeah they took pay cuts but while they took paycuts thousands upon thousands lost their jobs completely. Why is it when things improve by the slightest bit they have to be top of the queue with the hand out?
And my point, they’re still doing it with RTE. Probably to a greater extent to what bus eireann are requesting.
Ross was more than willing to stand with the government and “open the chequebook” to the tune of €19, 000 million for the Apple tax dodgers. The Bus Eireann deficit is tiny in the context of a national bus utility and a fraction of the €132 million which has been slashed from the annual public transport subvention since 2008 to pay for the banker’s debts. While the mainstream narrative that public transport can or should be run on a for profit basis is risible nonsense in any case.
Our neoliberal state is attempting to privatize the public transport system exactly as they did with communications, energy, waste collection etc etc with disastrous consequences for the majority. Bus Eireann has been deliberately undermined over many years with the private operators gifted the lucrative routes between urban centers and big towns driving of course on the state constructed motorway network while BE serves the social service loss making runs to small towns, villages and rural areas. Solidarity with the Bus Eireann workers fighting to protect the public transport system
“That’s the standard technique of privatization: defund, make sure things don’t work, people get angry, you hand it over to private capital.” -Noam Chomsky
@Paul Somers:
The CIE subvention has been slashed to €189 million since 2008 in order to cover the banker’s debts.
@Dusty Mooney: Thanks Dusty, really appreciate the detailed education.
Because they can paralysis the state, re the threatened Garda strike, nurses… because there are 300k of them and their votes plus their families can swing an election and because they have powerful unions.
@jane:
Exactly and in some cases a small amount of money would have saved the day , but it”s P/S close it down and let them joint the dole queues.
@jane:
“Why is it always public sector first and everyone else second?”
I hadn’t realized that the bondholders were public sector? Or the vulture funds? Or the corporate tax dodgers? Tell us more jane?
I agree Jane. A cut in USC would benefit everyone not just the chosen represented few..
When you see stonking great coaches driving in and out of the Bus Aras with only a few people on board you can’t help but wonder whether restructuring might be a good idea. Keep some of the big coaches for running the major routes at peak times. Get rid of the remainder. Get smaller buses for the quieter routes and quieter times. They’ll be more flexible, particularly useful in rural areas. DFI the concept of the service and make it better and cheaper along the way.
Dead right Shane don’t give them a penny more, unions have the country broke..
@rory2u: UNIONS have the country broke?
Since when have banks been a trade union?
@mursim: Unions started our with good intentions, but, now they are a monster that feeds off the state.
The old sow that eats her farrow
If that was a private company they would have gone bust years ago
@Anton Friendo:
If it was a private company we wouldn’t have a public transport system.
Or an electricity network for that matter. Or a water network. Or a public health system etc etc etc
You haven’t got the money but yet you stood with the government to write of Apple’s €19 billion tax bill?
Ross and his ilk always find the money when the elite need protection.
So just keep throwing money to them until all the drivers are millionaires?
Press a few buttons on your keyboard there wally… print a few bob for CIE.
@Martin Flood:
That was the policy our government followed with the bankers. Money spend on public transport is well spent. While the Bus Eireann workers and the travelling public are paying for those banker’s debts:
“Unite’s Michael Taft told the committee that Ireland fared badly when compared with other EU countries in terms of subvention. CIÉ’s subvention from the State was reduced from €321m in 2008 to €189m in 2015, a reduction of 41pc. Payroll costs were reduced by 12.6pc.”
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/allout-transport-strike-inevitable-if-expressway-plan-goes-ahead-35145592.html
Communists have all the answers.
“Money spent in public transport is well spent” it can also be badly spent in Public transport, such as ghost trains that run empty or highly subsidised regional flights that are not used or are always empty.
Well planned, structured and linked public transport that serves the communities and regions it services is desired and required. Something bus eireanns current routes and expressway service does. It deliver
@Wayne O’Fathaigh:
Surprised to see you supporting Bus Eireann Wayne? Are you starting to see the light?
No surprise you appear to be unable understand an opinion, that is not copy and pasted from AAA pamphlet. Bus Eireann is doing it wrong the express way service & its other products are not fit for purpose, in its current form.
@Wayne O’Fathaigh:
So you’ve changed your opinion then?
Because above you said the opposite.
Something bus eireann DOES NOT DELIVER. Anybody who believes any of our public transport services only deliver an efficient, needed and beneficial service is deluded.
In some aspects and on some routes maybe, there is a need to move to regional hubs, and small feeder services rather than hourly routes between big urban centres and small rural towns
@Wayne O’Fathaigh:
Ok. It was a typo. Nothing to see here. Please continue on with your drooling neoliberalism.
@Dusty Mooney: Not only that but a 440K bung to the government’s pals in PwC to write a report on Apple that nobody asked for. Oh the money’s there when it’s for the cronies surely.
@Martin Flood: So what do you know about it, they are not looking for more money they just want to keep what they have. Yes I am a bus driver before you ask but not for BE.
Shane Ross, get Mick Noonan to have a root around the couches in Leinster House. He’ a great man for finding large sums of dosh.
@Yenreit: Maybe Baldy The Bane Of Dying Hep C Women can toddle off down to Shannon WarPort next time Trump comes to town and roll out his slavering tongue as a red carpet for the great man who might bestow a shilling or twain upon him as he knuckles his forehead and kneels in the dust of the Ho’Lie Ground with jigging leprechauns and harpists around him?
What a waster
A useless sack of shit.
No money for Bus Eireann no money for sick children no money for the protection of children but plenty of money for Irish Water, Ireland 2017
This crisis could be instantlly averted if we all agreed not to expect safe drinking water or sewage disposal.
@Neal, not Neil.: how about if we all agreed that as taxpayers paying tax at some of the highest rates and levels in the world not to mention the extra VAT that was added on in the Nineties ostensibly to pay for water, we might expect clean safe drinking water in return, and not a crowd of jellyfish in Leinster House bowing the heads to the IMF and World Bank which ALWAYS insists on the water being privatised in countries they bail out, thereafter to be sold off to the Elites and used as a means of controlling the masses? Just sayin like.
No need to pay ordinary workers once ure property developers and bankers are looked after .don’t forget the bondholders I bet there aren’t any business workers in that lot.
Bus workers
No need to overpay them, you would think they are been asked to work for free.
People also pay taxes north of Dublin/ Galway, Dublin is the capital of Ireland, it is not Ireland as a whole. I am still very curious as to why an acting CEO speaks on behalf of Bus Eireann, what happened to the management team there ?
And no doubt half of you clowns will vote this tool back into government come the next general election
I get that as inflation goes up who in their right mind would be taking a cut. But this company is run very badly. Should let it go to the wall and private companies come in and run it like a proper business. This free travel that BE do. Do they get money back from state or fun it themselves? Also if there is loss making routes well business smarts tell you cut it why keep it. Understand a lot of old folks there say like a post office it’s vital to area. Sorry but no. These things are businesses. Scream at your politicians for not bringing investments jobs and therfore people to your dying village
Vital public transport should not be run as a business, now having said that , BE should be far better managed
Why not? State run means shocking backwards quality. USA it’s private and you have greyhound. Japan is private and has best systems in world. State run means shocking quality.
It’s totally unacceptable that this gov is effectively pulling the plug on funding the bus service and saying its the companys problem, not theirs, over a relatively small amount of 6 million a year.
Its a relatively small amount compared to what the politicians are cumulatively overpaying themselves in all their different various payments each year.
The point Adrian is that a lot of that money could be saved and passenger numbers increased if the thing was managed properly
Agree, but the losses are relatively small, its acceptable all over the world that govs do subsidize some of their own state related businesses, and if our own govs weren’t so wasteful with our own state finances, there wouldn’t be a problem. Its widely known our govs (mainly FF and FG govs) are horrendous poor and are hugely wasteful with the states finances.
This government found €60mn to prevent Gda strike.public were told there was no money in the pot.
@@mdmak33:
They sure did and you can be sure you will all about where the money comes from before this year is out.
@@mdmak33:
Weak government, Strong Unions.
People in rural Ireland, even those not in Mayo, need a bus service. Tax rates are the same here as in Dublin …no comparison in services though.
Shane Ross: ‘People want me to come to the Bus Éireann dispute with money. I have none to offer’
Well, he also has my money. And all other taxpayers money. Some of that money pays his wages (I wish that wasnt the case but it is) .And I would be quite happy if he was to invest some of it in BE
Always with the negative waves Moriarty
What a ridiculous notion that department of transport should be expected have some money to put into the national public transport system. Perish the thought!
I was just handed a leaflet on the bus saying that drivers are looking for a pay rise.
There are 1,378 drivers who work overtime each day which equals the cost of 1,636 drivers and the company believes it can get by with 978 with a rota schedule that was making best use of resources, some of these drivers are earning over €60,000 whilst the average pay is €46,000.
Their company is in crisis and facing insolvency, and they are asking for a pay rise?
Jesus Christ.
@Commute Ireland: Get your facts right they are not looking for a pay rise.
@Dave Green: I was given a leaflet today which suggested otherwise.
Ye had enough to give out to the illegal bank bailout another endapendant.
Bus workers not business
Ross. The quote in the headline says a lot about your ‘thinking inside the box ‘ try thinking outside of the box. You don’t have to bring money. You just have to bring leadership and a will to succeed, and a little imagination
@Anthony Byrne:
what else do you expect Ross to bring then?
for “leadership, imagination” for resolving industrial disputes, there is the excellent WRC, and the LRC.
Unfortunately, those bodies don’t have an open cheque book.
Bus Eireann make an annual loss of €300 million
They receive a subvention from the government for loss making routes
Does the €300 million loss include this subvention ?
If a private company was making unsustainable losses of €300 million a year , they would CLOSE .
If cost cutting measure`s were put in place to save the private company you can be sure it would be taken on board
Bus Eireann I repeat are making losses of €300 milion
The chief executives and senior staff running this company are I guarantee you still taking huge salaries
Cost cutting measures have to be implemented and accepted
This has SFA to do with bailing out banks or any such deals
If we didn`t bail out he banks we would all be done for
The liberals and the unions need to get a grip here , grasp reality and try solve the matter rather than resorting to the ever childish strike tactic
I`m sick of these union officials spouting crap and their aggessive manner
If it comes to it wind the bloody thing up and let private operators run the service
I`m sure this would be welcome by some of the parasites , they get redundancy and take up immediate employment with the private operator
And before anyone comes on questioning my right to voice an opinion on this its me and others like me that are paying for the €189 million subvention through our tax contribution and that money could be better spent on health , education etc
Agree Tom 110,000 people per day can’t survive on them numbers buses only 15 / 20 % occupied at best !
Good and affordable public transport requires investment, but full transparency/disclosure of management plans to all bus passengers is important, and passenger need a say in this. It seems that the Bus Éireann cuts are being abused by Minister for Transport Shane Ross to subsidize roads and motorways. This in turn will lead that bus users in especially rural Ireland will face even more price hikes, in favor of motorists, shame. Shane Ross is at the mercy of commercial bus operators, whom he has little or no influence on.
RTE news reported that 110,000 people travel on bus eireann per day no way is it viable with them numbers !!
Get involved and bull shit both sides like you do at election time……. minister.
“Oh so now its no more money to offer” the other day this was an industrial relations dispute
Of course he has no money, he spent it all In Rio
Brillant
1st. There is little scope for inflation now because the Euro does not allow it. This is how pay claims were settled in the past, workers got a rise and government printed money to pay for it. Savers lost out some but were compensated by high interest rates on deposits. That day is over and its a good part of the EU. There is no money. strike or no strike.
2nd it was a mistake to give Gardai a rise, that provided the justification for this claim.
3rd. The only place money can come from is from taxes, in other words the state enforced taxes which can only come from private sector workers. Tax them too much and they are forced out of business.
4) All spare cash is now going on electricity generation. There are sea trials, wave trials subsidies for solar electricity and massive subsidies for wind energy and pylons. So a 5% rise will be taken away in electricity bills. That is where everything is going
Ross is right to stay out.
He has already increased funding for the PSO.
The only reason the unions demand he get involved is to write out a big cheque.
Bus Eir Provided an excellent 202 & 219 route for years – on time and always full buses but some idiots in Dublin decided to change a perfectly run route(s)
219 was changed (services southside cork Cory to CIT ) without community involvement – changed its route (no longer servicing the community but the bussiness near by) – after one week new stops were not serviced (no notice ) – they decided to chafe route again – depart times were changed – causing delays for many students who were using peak time services – many disabled users were no longer bring serviced near their homes – my mother was one who needed that direct bus to CUH – she died last summer due to bring forced to walk /father pushing her wheelchair (at the end ) to attend medical appointments – I was no longer driving and taxis would eat into their food money ! (On a special diet ).
202 was excellent service since I first had my first job – last September changed it ! No longer on time – many empty buses and no longer serving the whole mahon /blackrock catchment area !
Main stop is located near known fighting traveller families – near a graveyard which has an to social issues and illegal dumping – busses arival and leave empty now !
I now get 215 which a walk away from house – to and back from city – safer to walk home from at night (CCV cameras) – more people about and security men around ((the shopping centre )) –
Better timed service and always full due to servicing local business side of mahon (the community is no longer serviced – putting lives at risk – my son has to leave at 7.30pm to be in school for 8.45 pm – drive is 15 minutes but no longer cam time the 202 bus into the city during peak times )
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