The Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, stressed the need for competition in the provision of bus services in Dublin.
She said that, last November, the Government had asked her Department to review the situation, with the objective of increasing competition. Dublin Bus, the NBRU, SIPTU, and almost every private operator had made submissions.
"It appears from questions put to me outside the House that people are talking about privatisation. However, I am not talking about that. There is a need for a properly subsidised and run public transport company. There is also a need for an element of competition within the greater Dublin area. This relates to buses, not heavy rail."
The Minister was responding to a series of special notice questions on the threatened strike in Dublin Bus.
Expressing concern about the impact the strike would have on public transport users, she urged the NBRU to resume immediately the negotiations on the productivity and restructuring package, which would address its pay claim on a non-cost-increasing basis.
Ms O'Rourke said she had separate meetings with the various parties involved, and there had been a good exchange of views. Asked by Mr Pat Rabbitte (Labour, Dublin South West) what she was offering people, the Minister replied: "I cannot offer them anything. If I could, I would. I do not want this strike. What does the deputy expect me to offer?"
Mr Rabbitte said it was five weeks since the matter had been discussed before.
Mr Joe Higgins (Socialist Party, Dublin West) said that to enable it to concede a pay rise, Dublin Bus management was demanding draconian measures which added insult to the injury of low pay and difficult working conditions.