I point out to Members that eight minutes are allowed for questions in each category and that that slot overran by in excess of two minutes. The second question is from Deputy Gerry Adams.

Guím Lá Fhéile Bríde faoi mhaise ar an gCeann Comhairle agus ar an Taoiseach feasta.

That is my day.

Maith thú. Fair play duit.

The management of Bus Éireann has announced measures that threaten the rights of bus workers, passengers and, in particular, the rights of citizens in rural Ireland. By slashing overtime and Sunday rates and cutting pay, the management is forcing the issue to an industrial dispute. This race to the bottom when it comes to workers' pay and conditions is totally unacceptable because it is not the workers who created the crisis at Bus Éireann. Like the Taoiseach, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, states that rural Ireland is a top priority for the Government but there is no evidence of it. The Government has closed Garda stations, post offices and hospitals. Today, 601 citizens are on trolleys. The Government has closed other facilities. Now it is attacking the public bus service.

Coming from County Mayo, the Taoiseach must know that a large number of people, particularly those in rural Ireland, depend on Bus Éireann services. They include the young, the old, the poor, the rural dweller and the tourist. Those are the people who take the bus. The outworking of Government policy for those living in rural Ireland who cannot afford a car or who cannot drive for some reason is that they have to stay where they are even if that means they cannot have access to work, study, health care or a social life. The nub of the issue is whether the Taoiseach believes that public transport is a right.

It is clear that the Government believes in privatisation and, therefore, the profit motive will determine who gets a bus service. Bus Éireann is part of our vital infrastructure, particularly in rural Ireland. With good management and by listening to transport users and workers and taking on board what they have to say, it is possible to create a service that will attract more people to public transport. That should be the Government's position but it is not the position of the Minister. The Minister should take a range of decisions, including the decision to have a full review of the Expressway service. A review of loss-making routes on which private carriers currently operate is also needed. There should be a review of the private licences issued for these routes. There should also be an increase in funding for the free travel pass. As it currently stands, the amount allocated covers just 41% of the cost of the average journey. Given the threats to routes, the Minister needs to provide clarity. What routes and services have been identified for potential closure?

There needs to be a full engagement by the Minister with all stakeholders. Will the Taoiseach ensure that the Minister, Deputy Ross, engages with all the stakeholders, including his Department, the NTA, Bus Éireann and the unions, to find a resolution of the issue and that this happens without delay?

I assure the Deputy that the Government's main priority in this context is to ensure that the travelling public has the greatest range of transport opportunities and frequencies as has been evident in the annual increase in the numbers using the transport fleet. There will be a motion on the matter today. Bus Éireann is in serious financial difficulties. It has stated that its finances are in a perilous state. A major contributor to the falling revenues is the commercial service sector, where Bus Éireann has struggled for years against new market entrants. The company cannot continue to operate in its current loss-making position, which is not only depleting its reserves but could mean serious solvency issues lie ahead unless action is taken.

The Minister, Deputy Ross, is very concerned about the matter and has, in terms of the facilities of the State such as the Labour Court, made every effort to have the management and the unions get together. The analysis commissioned by the company identifies the commercial Expressway service as a source of significant losses and one that is a commercial problem which needs a commercial response. The Minister has put forward the proposition that he commits to taking account of the overall budgetary parameters through the importance of an adequately funded PSO transport network. He has also committed to reviewing the current funding levels associated with the free travel scheme. There were rumours that the Government was going to take away the free travel passes but let me assure the House that nothing is further from the truth.

The Minister has also made requests of the NTA, which has been vocal about the issue. If Bus Éireann were to adjust or reschedule some of its Expressway services, the NTA has stated that it would take up the option of providing services and transport for rural Ireland. This is an essential part of the programme for rural Ireland to realise its potential, which was launched in Ballymahon last week by the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Heather Humphreys. The Minister has also committed to bringing forward amendments to the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009, taking into account the review of the legislation by the NTA and any necessary improvements to strengthen public transport services to the consumer.

The Minister is anxious that this matter would be dealt with in the same way as they are all eventually resolved, which is by sitting down and negotiating. Management and the unions need to get together. This is a serious matter that we do not want to see escalate so I ask both sides to do that. The PSO and the opportunity through the NTA and the adequacy and scale of the free travel pass system are important to both the Government and the Minister.

I hope that both sides can get together and work it out because it will have to be done eventually.

The Taoiseach stated that the Government's commitment is to ensure that the public has the greatest range of transport opportunities. Foremost among those must be a commitment to a public bus service, which the Taoiseach has not given. Our public transport network has been in a perpetual state of crisis. Last year, Luas and Dublin Bus workers were out on strike. There is a troubling rail review by the NTA and there are ongoing difficulties with Bus Éireann. This comes after more than a decade of underinvestment. Then there is the threat of more cuts to routes.

The Taoiseach knows that these routes connect people and rural and urban communities. He also knows that public transport can reduce traffic congestion and has a big part to play in protecting the environment.

Public transport, by its very nature, is not always about profit. The reason it is called public transport is that it is a service to the public. The Taoiseach stated this matter could only be resolved by everybody sitting around the table but the Minister refuses to sit at the table. Will the Taoiseach explain the reason for that and will he ensure the Minister does so? Will he ensure there is proper engagement with all the stakeholders, including the Department and Minister?

If everybody is interested in sorting out the issue, which I expect they are, and if people are serious, the opportunity presents itself to sit down and start to talk about the problems, both from a management and trade union point of view. The Expressway service is not subsidised. The Minister, through government, has increased the subsidy through the public service obligation, PSO, levy for subsidised routes, which is what the PSO is for. However, the commercial end of Bus Éireann, the Expressway route, is losing money - €6 million each year and the figure will increase. Should we endorse this or look at the issue and say we think it is a very good idea? Nobody does this and the travelling public do not want that either. If we are serious about sorting out this issue, people must sit down, negotiate and talk about the issues.

My understanding is that the company is developing a new plan which it hopes will restore Bus Éireann to a sustainable future. As part of this path to viability, negotiations between the trade union and management are crucial, as they are in all these cases and as Deputy Adams is well aware. The nub of the issue is that there is a commercial problem which requires a commercial answer. It will not be sorted out by talking over the media. People will have to sit down together, look at the issues, identify the options and make decisions. We thank all the drivers for the work they do, as well as those in bus management, in transporting more than 20 million passengers every year. This is a very important service and we want to see it continue.