Sinn Féin Transport spokesperson Dessie Ellis TD has criticised Minister Varadkar for stirring up industrial unrest by claiming strikes by rail workers were inevitable in the coming months. This was despite claims by Irish Rail and the NBRU that this was not the case.

Ellis continued;

“Maybe Minister Varadkar knows something we don’t about the future of Irish Rail. He certainly has shown little regard for supporting public transport or good conditions for workers.

“Irish Rail and the NBRU have now rubbished Varadkar inflammatory and alarmist statements and he should retract them.

“Minister Varadkar has on a number of occasions shown he is more interested in passing comment and getting press coverage than he is in solving problems and avoiding conflict.

“It is his cuts which are threatening public transport so if he feels strikes are inevitable maybe he should stay quiet until he has reviewed his policies.”

Lufthansa jobs could have been saved through government intervention – Ellis

Sinn Féin’s Deputy Dessie Ellis has condemned the government for not intervening in the Lufthansa dispute following the news that 411 workers at the company are to receive their redundancy notice this Friday.

Deputy Ellis said;

“The reality is that many of these jobs could have been saved had the government taken a serious interest in the future of these workers and their families. They didn’t and they allowed the company to treat these workers in a disgraceful manner.

“Earlier today Sinn Féin stated that the Government cannot allow the company to wash its hands of its responsibility to offer the workers a fair redundancy package.

“The company walked away from negotiations with the union. Now the workers and their families will spend the Christmas holidays feeling vulnerable and very uncertain about their financial futures.

“The government must set about securing a future for the plant and not pass the responsibility to other agencies.”

“We must also raise the point about the negative impact this will have on the local economy.

“The Government has a target for 20,000 additional manufacturing jobs and they are failing to reach this target. Each job in the manufacturing sector supports almost two others in the wider community as they are quality skilled jobs.

Sinn Féin transport spokesperson Dessie Ellis has described plans to raise public transport fares by as much as 10% as counterproductive and damaging. He made his comments following approval from the NTA for the proposed hikes.

Ellis said;
“This should be a time of opportunity for the NTA to build public transport. While there are fewer commuters, private transport is increasing costly and an affordable accessible public transport is attractive to commuters.

“Unfortunately the policy of government has been to force cuts on the system and encourage fare hikes in Bus Éireann, Dublin Bus and Irish Rail. This makes the option less attractive as it becomes less affordable for people.

“Some will see their yearly ticket now rise by a further €200 having already rose three previous times under this government.

“These regular hikes, coupled with giving private operators public service obligation contracts, are part of Fine Gaels agenda of undermining public transport.”

October 1, 2013

Sinn Fein transport spokesperson, Dessie Ellis TD, has said that the new taxi regulation which will be passed in the Dáil tomorrow will do little to make the industry more sustainable. He made his comments as the government prepares to move its Taxi Regulation Bill.
Deputy Ellis said:
“This bill contains some good measures to improve the way the Taxi Regulator works and to improve how taxi licences are awarded, but it does not deal directly with the major problem facing the industry.
“There is a massive oversupply of taxis which is leaving many people who depend on taxi driving as their sole livelihood suffering badly. Taxi drivers have been hit hard by the recession because there were no controls on how many taxis could be licenced.
“The Minister undertook a long period of consultation but seems to not have taken notice of the need for a solution to this problem. He is intent on making business harder for taxi drivers by heaping more costs on them but that doesn’t solve the problem.
“The fault in the system has not been fixed and because of that we will experience it again and again.
“Also, unfortunately, the Minister is intent on barring former political prisoners from employment. A section of this bill is in direct contradiction of the Good Friday Agreement which was endorsed overwhelming by the people of this island.”