I have two issues to raise, the first of which is the Bus Éireann dispute.

I know many of the workers who are out on strike. It is extremely worrying for them.

My only reservation is that people who speak for the second time - I am trying to be lenient - have only one issue to raise. The leaders can raise two.

Then I will stick to this issue.

If the Senator is brief I will let him in, but I have to be fair too.

I always attempt to be brief.

Attempting to be brief and being brief are different things.

With a large pinch of salt.

The brief politician is an oxymoron.

I hope that common sense will prevail. People need to be talking to each other to find a resolution. I am on record as saying that I feel the business model under which Bus Éireann has been operating, particularly with the Expressway routes, is effectively an unfair model. Up to 60% of its passengers are people who avail of free travel, whereas the private operators are not required to take those who qualify for free travel. It is almost impossible to compete when it is not a level playing field. Everyone, including the workers, is aware that change is required. We cannot lose sight of the fact that many of these workers are people with young families and mortgages. They are under pressure. I ask the Leader to convey our hope that talks would get under way as quickly as possible to find a resolution so that we can have a balanced public transport system involving Bus Éireann.

My final point relates to Irish Cement. Limerick City and County Council has granted permission for a new plant to burn alternative fuels. Many people in the area have serious concerns over pollution and yet it is still not licensed by the EPA. We need to look at the law. Before planning permission is granted for any physical infrastructure, the EPA should first be required to grant a licence. I think it is the cart before the horse.

I also raise the issue of Bus Éireann and call for the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to come to the House, although I suspect it will not help us. I was on the picket line yesterday with workers in Limerick. I welcome that there has been support from all sides of the House on the issue. I also welcome Senator Kieran O'Donnell's comments to the degree that he recognises there are issues of Government policy regarding how the company is structured.

I will cite two issues. The PSO was drastically cut back between 2009 and 2015. It is not sufficient to support the public services that are needed at the moment. There is a €17 million deficit on the reimbursement for the free-travel scheme. The last time I raised this in the Chamber, the Leader said the company was losing €50,000 a day. That is because it is not being funded properly. The point is that it is not possible to solve an industrial relations issues when key issues of Government policy are underpinning the problem.

I say this with respect, Fine Gael has the power to fix this. It is that party that is in Government and it is being supported by Fianna Fáil. The workers are out on strike because the Government, for all Fine Gael Members' kind words, is not taking action to deal with it.

Hear, hear.

Those workers do not want to be on strike. I was with them yesterday. They had no choice but to take this action. It is time that Fine Gael Members took responsibility and told their colleague, the Minister, Deputy Ross, what needs to be done. The issues of Government policy have to be dealt with. I remind Members of this House that we are talking about workers who have to wait 20 years to earn the princely sum of €624 a week, which is less than half of the salary Senators get from the outset.

Fine Gael should face up to its responsibility for its failures in Government policy. It has spent six years trashing this company financially.

Hear, hear.

Otherwise it will, as Senator Leyden said, kill our public bus service, just as it did Irish Shipping.