A further 16 Deputies are offering, so Members can appreciate the difficulty on time. Deputy Healy-Rae is next.

Under the programme for Government many things have been promised to help rural Ireland. Little has happened yet. The other evening I was standing at O'Brien's shop in Glenflesk on the side of the N22. The number 40 Expressway bus passed on the way to Killarney and Tralee.

What has this got to do with the programme for Government?

It is about rural Ireland, transport and getting in and out of rural Ireland. We have no business here at all if we cannot affect those people.

While it is really pressing, I do not think-----

It is very important. The bus was packed full. I am calling on the Taoiseach and the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to get into meaningful talks with Bus Éireann and others to ensure the Expressway routes continue to operate and provide people in rural Kerry with transport back and forth from the county. I call on them to take action now to prevent the strike that is looming. I do not think it is below their station to get into talks with Bus Éireann to ensure the people of Kerry and rural Ireland have proper transport.

I call the Taoiseach. I thought he was going to be asked to drive the bus there for a while.

I hope the bus was driving safely on the correct side and within the speed limit-----

We want to keep it going.

-----and giving good comfort to the passengers. I hope the management and unions can come together before the mentioned strike date of 20 February-----

And the Minister.

-----and work out a system whereby the difficulties can be discussed and negotiated through the machinery of the State, the Workplace Relations Commission or the Labour Court.

The Government needs to be involved.