April 4th: Unite, which represents craft workers in Bus Éireann, has welcomed the invitation to talks issued by the WRC and said it will be attending the talks in an effort to find a resolution to the twelve-day-old dispute, although pickets will remain in place. However, Regional Officer Willie Quigley cautioned against “kicking the can down the road”, and reiterated Unite’s call for Minister Shane Ross to convene a forum of all stakeholders in order to chart a sustainable way forward for Ireland’s public transport system.

Commenting, Mr Quigley said:

“Unite welcomes the invitation extended by the WRC today, and I can confirm that we will be attending the talks. Our members are as anxious to find a resolution to this dispute as the travelling public.

“I would, however, caution that a resolution of this immediate dispute – if it can be found – will not solve the problems facing Ireland’s public transport system, which have their roots in public policy choices and will ultimately require a political solution. The time has come to stop kicking the can down the road, and for the Minister to convene a forum of all stakeholders to chart a sustainable way forward for public transport – in the interests of those who use the service, and the workers who deliver it”, Mr Quigley concluded.