I wish to raise with the Taoiseach the matter of people being able to get to work. People are under serious pressure with 1,000 jobs a day being lost, some houses being repossessed, families under pressure with mortgages and fears about jobs being lost. These pressures are added to the normal pressures of society. The Taoiseach will be aware that in November 2007, a total of 60,000 commuters in north Dublin were stranded for a week without public transport and they could not get to work. Today, a total of 150,000 commuters were left stranded because of the unofficial and wildcat dispute at the Harristown bus depot, which spread to two other depots but which has now been retracted somewhat. The CIE group does not appear to be able to change with the times and even the most minor of changes cause absolute mayhem.

I met a woman this morning who had driven from County Cavan for an appointment in the Mater hospital. She had no bus transport and eventually got a taxi in order to get to her appointment. The pressure on people and on society as a consequence of this wildcat dispute is indicative of the way the Government has been unable to manage the affairs of the nation which in a broader sense has brought about a collapse in so many areas. The people of Dublin deserve better than this.

Hear, hear.

We should not be in a position in 2009 where because of a monopoly situation, 150,000 commuters were stranded this morning. It is a case of "your own way to work". Governments have given €4.7 billion to Bus Éireann and this group in the past ten years — €2 billion in capital and €2.7 billion for running routes. Yet this morning because of this unofficial dispute, not supported by unions, 150,000 people are left stranded. We have reports of intimidation, of rocks being thrown at buses as drivers attempted to take them out of the depot and of one female driver who was so intimidated she had to return to the depot. This is not good enough. The people of Dublin deserve better.

Has the Government reviewed this with a view to opening it up to real competition? It is more than ten years since the late Minister, Seamus Brennan, produced his document on opening up competition for Dublin Bus. Will the Government examine the possibility of opening it up to competition and what does the Taoiseach intend to do about the 150,000 people who are stranded and do not know what will happen tomorrow?

I join with everybody in the House in deeply regretting the fact that unofficial action took place, which meant major inconvenience for many loyal commuters of Bus Átha Cliath during the past couple of days. It is very much regretted that this was the case. It is not fair on commuters or on the bus drivers who want to get back to work. Everybody agrees that early implementation of Dublin Bus's cost recovery plan is urgently required in order that the company can avoid a projected operating deficit of more than €30 million for this year. It is accepted that Dublin Bus must take action to secure operational efficiencies and to reduce costs in order to maintain services at the highest level possible while stabilising its financial position. Failure to implement that plan would give rise to very serious financial losses for the company.

Dublin Bus's cost recovery plan was accepted following a labour court recommendation comprising a pay pause, reduction of 120 buses, changes to travelling time, reallocation of duties, schedule redesign and changes, limits on compensation and disturbance allowances, changes to paid breaks and overtime arrangements and reduction in support staff and trainers. The changes were signalled and discussed at local level. The most recent update on the issue is that drivers are returning to work at Harristown and that buses are leaving the depot with full service expected tomorrow.

I accept that it is greatly to be regretted that there was any disruption of services. The well-established industrial relations procedures need to be adhered to. Where Labour Court recommendations are brought forward in such circumstances it is important in the interests of best industrial practice that the recommendations are followed and that the spirit and content of those recommendations are respected. That did not happen uniformly in this case and subsequently it was an action that took wider consequences in the past 36 hours.

Deputy Kenny makes a point with which we would all agree. It is important that industrial relations procedures are such that inconvenience is avoided, particularly given the important public service that is being provided for many commuters who are going to work or conducting their daily business. To do so without notice undermines the efforts of many to ensure the necessary cost-recovery plans are put in place. That lesson needs to be learned in the interests of the company and everybody who works in it.

I am sure it is a coincidence that since the Taoiseach and I stood up here the action has been called off and I welcome that. The fact remains that 150,000 people were stranded this morning. It is difficult for Ministers, who have been driven by State transport for the past decade, to appreciate the pressure people are under.

Some of us catch the bus.

The commuter does not mind what colour the bus is provided it is efficient, safe, reliable and economical. Dublin Bus loses a substantial amount of money every week. The Government is supposed to be in charge. Social partnership has been a valuable entity in the past number of years but this was a wild-cat action leaving 150,000 stranded. Has anybody examined a document in the files of the Department, produced by one of the Taoiseach's predecessors, Michael O'Kennedy, on strike procedures for essential services? This goes back a long way. Does the Government have a view on this? Does it believe there should be a no-strike clause for essential services? Does it believe a moratorium should be applied where a dispute will arise that could be dealt with in an intervening period to ensure the public are not disrupted in getting to and from work?

If CIE is unable to supply a proper service for the commuters of Dublin, should operators which can provide a service be brought in? Many private operators throughout the country would be more than willing to tender for consideration for new routes and provide real competition for Dublin Bus and benefit the consumer. Has the Government considered the famous O'Kennedy document, updated by the documents of the late Jim Mitchell and the late Seamus Brennan, on transport for Dublin? Has the Government considered real competition? What is the Government's view on a no-strike clause for essential services? When does it expect real competition will be provided on this route to ensure 150,000 consumers and commuters will not be stranded again?

Is it not indicative of the failure of this, the worst Government of 50 years, that it failed to put in place a procedure that allows for people to get to and from work? Harassed and pressurised though they are, they are still willing to turn up and do their duty, but the State has failed to provide a mechanism whereby essential services are protected from disruption by wild-cat strikes. That responsibility rests with the Government and I would like to hear the Taoiseach's views on how he intends to sort it out.

Hear, hear.

It is important to say we should not have unofficial action, but it is also important not to characterise all trade union activity on the basis that there was unofficial action. The unofficial action is atypical of the reaction of organised workers to such issues. Unofficial action should be avoided at all costs and in all circumstances. There is competition on commercial routes. It is intended that any new PSO routes from December onwards will be open to competition in a regulated, sensible way which will maintain quality and access to services for people, provide choice and will not put at risk the significant investment in public transport services. This investment has improved the product and provision of services to bus and train passengers. That is the approach that must be taken.

I hold no brief for unofficial action. It is unfair on commuters and on those who wish to attend for work, to get on with their business in accordance with the established procedures and who follow their unions' position on acceptance and implementation of a labour court recommendation. This recommendation is about resolving an important financial problem to the tune of more than €30 million in deficit for that company were that Labour Court recommendation not implemented. Let us make a differentiation. Those who were involved in unofficial action were wrong. It is not the way to proceed. It causes great inconvenience to commuters and is not in line with best industrial practice. It undermines the purpose and reason there should be active engagement between workers and their representatives and management. It should not be categorised as a generality, although I agree it has consequences way beyond what was merited in the first instance and should not have occurred. We are in the process of ensuring we bring forward competition on routes in a way that will enhance the service for the commuter in a regulated and sensible manner.