Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 2 Mar 1950

Vol. 119 No. 8

Adjournment Debate—Dublin Bus Stoppage.

Mr. Byrne

To-day, at Question Time, I asked permission to raise the question of the unfortunate bus stoppage which has occurred in Dublin City and the Ceann Comhairle very kindly gave that permission. Many citizens in Dublin City to-day are being deprived of their transport. There are many thousands in one area alone—Clontarf, Dollymount, Donnycarney districts— who have no transport whatsoever. I appeal to the Government to do everything possible to bring an end to this unfortunate dispute. I would not dare to go into the merits of the dispute at all but I appeal to the men concerned— to the various parties concerned—to have regard to the fact that very shortly after the buses stopped a Labour Court, which was set up by this House, intervened. I hold that the moment the Labour Court intervened the men's protest against whatever grievance they had was successful and that an immediate resumption of the public bus services in that area should have taken place.

There is a hush-hush air—a "do not say a word about it because of the danger of saying something that might help to prolong the dispute"—in connection with all this matter. I and my colleagues who represent Dublin City, and especially those of us who represent North Dublin, want to see the dispute brought to an end. We want to bring relief to those people who are now foot-sore and weary from walking an average of five miles to their work in the mornings and five miles back again in the afternoons—let me be right about it, four miles and four and a half miles to the Dollymount area where new schemes have been built. These people now think that those who operate the bus services have no regard to the fact that they are the customers who keep the bus services going and who keep them in reasonably good employment.

The municipality will have to consider very seriously any extension of their housing schemes any distance away from people's work if this bus strike is an indication of what may take place in the future. I hold that the bus stoppage was unjustified. I express my opinion on that matter very definitely—that the bus stoppage was unjustified and that its continuance is unjustifiable. It is not a question of conditions of labour, so far as wages are concerned. I am of the opinion that if all Parties in this House join with the Government in an appeal to the men concerned to go back to their work and have regard to the people who provide the fares and who provide them with that work, the appeal would be listened to. It is not fair or proper that the people of the City of Dublin should be a shuttle-cock between any two sections.

Mr. O'Leary

Is it not the case that London is dictating to Dublin?

Mr. Byrne

I would prefer every Deputy to avoid going into the details. We merely want the buses restored. The protest has been effective. The Labour Court is doing its very best to bring about a settlement and I hold that the people of North Dublin are entitled to demand that every section of this House shall join together in an appeal to have restored to them what we promised them in our various Acts of Parliament. Very large numbers of children, now living in the Dollymount area, have to go to school in the early morning—children from Dollymount, Clontarf and Donnycarney—and these children go to the city schools they attended before the new houses were built in the outlying districts. There are thousands of girls working on the south side of the City of Dublin, all around George's Street and Camden Street, whose homes are in the Donnycarney, Clontarf and Dollymount areas. It is not fair that they should be treated as they are being treated by the people concerned in the bus stoppage.

As I have said, I am not raising this matter for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the merits of the dispute. I feel, however, that if the men were to go back to work to-morrow morning or had they gone back to work the morning after the Labour Court intervened, their case would still get the best possible attention because of the desire of all the people to bring an end to the present unfortunate trouble. Some people have said: "Oh, is it not a very dangerous thing for you to raise the matter or to interfere at all?" If somebody does not do it there is a danger that the matter will drift and drift, that the men of all sections will become irritated and that the strike or stoppage may spread not alone in respect of buses but in respect of other businesses as well. That would be deplorable.

It would be better to face the issue now, find out what it is all about and bring it to a head in order, if we possibly can, by an appeal to the people concerned, to bring an end to the dispute. I appeal to the Minister, and especially to the Government, in this connection. I am satisfied that if an appeal is made, it would have the support of every member of every Party in the House.

Mr. Traynor

I merely want to say that I am rather surprised at the Minister's saying that he has no function in this matter. It may be technically correct to say that he has no function in the matter, as Minister for Industry and Commerce, whereby he can intervene. Surely, however, as a member of the Government who must accept responsibility for the general welfare of the people—as a member of that Government and on behalf of it—surely he could intervene in an effort to bring about a settlement. I submit that his intervention cannot in any instance be construed as an attempt to settle the strike on behalf of one side as against the other.

I, like Deputy Byrne, represent the constituency which is solely affected by the dispute. It is felt that in the interests of these people and because of the hardships which are being inflicted upon them—and they are the innocent subjects of this dispute—it is the duty of the Minister, acting on behalf of the Government, to intervene in some manner in an effort to bring about a friendly settlement of the dispute. The people of North Dublin are looking forward to Government intervention in this matter. All I can say is that I hope they do not look for it in vain.

Mr. Belton

I should like to join in the appeal made by Deputy Byrne and Deputy Traynor to the Minister to intervene in an effort to bring about a settlement of this dispute which is affecting about 65,000 people in Dublin North-East. The constituency of Dublin North-East has on its northern fringe the corporation housing areas of Marino, Donnycarney and Killester, and the very large population resident there are deprived of their normal bus services. From the Killester housing area particularly the children have to attend schools in the City of Dublin because sufficient school accommodation is not available in the area and the only method of transport they had was that provided by the ordinary bus services. I would impress upon the Minister that the longer this stoppage lasts the greater are the chances of its spreading. I shall not delay the time of the House in arguing about the merits of the strike. It is not for me to do that, but it seems to be a bit ridiculous that when there are only two members of one union——

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

The Deputy should not travel along that line.

Mr. Belton

I am sorry if I have transgressed, but I should like to point out that if the unions were to abide by the decision of the Labour Court, agree to work the transport services and so enable the residents of the area to enjoy their normal services, the position could be examined and gone into by the respective unions. We have got the decision at the moment that agreement cannot be reached, but I should like to impress upon the leaders of the unions concerned, the Minister and the officials of Córas Iompair Éireann, that they should do their utmost to bring this strike to a conclusion and so remove this very serious handicap on the residents of that area.

Captain Cowan

I want to join with Deputy Byrne, Deputy Traynor and Deputy Belton, as a representative of Dublin North-East, in appealing to every person concerned in this stoppage to do his utmost to bring it to a conclusion as quickly as possible. As Deputy Byrne has said, and Deputy Traynor and Deputy Belton have repeated, thousands of people whom we represent in that area are very seriously affected by this unfortunate stoppage. We say to the Minister and to the Government that there is a very serious responsibility upon them. No one appreciates the difficulties of the Minister and of the Government more than I in that matter, but I do say that it is their duty to do everything within their power to bring this stoppage to a conclusion as quickly as possible. Like other Deputies, I am not going into the merits or the demerits of the dispute. I understand there has been agreement between Deputy Byrne and the Ceann Comhairle that nothing would be raised here to-night that might be considered likely to throw oil on the flames of the dispute. I think that that is perfectly correct.

As Deputy Belton has said, there is a danger that this strike may spread. To-night I heard very serious reports from members of the National Union of Railwaymen that their small number of members, three in number, affected by the strike, have received from Córas Iompair Éireann notices of dismissal. I would ask the Minister in replying to this debate to deal with that aspect because that may again mean that some more oil will be thrown on the flames of the dispute. Every one of us knows, and we are all delighted, that at the moment conversations are going on between the Irish Trades Union Congress and the Congress of Irish Unions, in a sincere endeavour to bring about an end of the differences between them. Every member of this House and of the public will wish well to the people concerned in these negotiations. I understand that the representatives of the unions involved are sincerely endeavouring to bring about an end to the differences between them. Let us hope that, through the intervention of the Minister and of the Government and the good offices of the representatives of the unions concerned, this stoppage will be ended as quickly as possible and that the people whom Deputy Traynor, Deputy Byrne, Deputy Colley, Deputy Belton and myself represent will be relieved of the very onerous burden cast upon them by the stoppage.

Mr. Colley

I should like to add my voice to that of the other representatives of North-East Dublin in appealing to the Government to take some action to try to bring this strike to an end. It is pitiable to see the crowds of people from that area trying to find their way into the city and out of the city under present conditions, or to see the great number of workers on building schemes further out, trying to get to their work in the early morning and trudging home after their hard day's work. It is a serious situation and if no steps are taken now it will lead either to deadlock or, as has been stated, the strike will spread. Whatever may be the technical difficulties in the way of a settlement, I think it is our duty here to try to find a solution. We make that appeal to the Government and I hope there will be some response to it. I am sure if they use their influence they will probably be able to find some way out and save further hardships to the people concerned.

Minister for Industry and Commerce (Mr. Morrissey)

I would like to assure the Deputies who have spoken and the House that the Government are fully conscious of the very grave hardships which have been inflicted on the travelling public in the North of Dublin City arising out of this strike, hardships that lean particularly heavily on the workers, on the poor, on the aged and on the children, as has been stressed by Deputies. It is a strike that, like most strikes, is to be deplored. I would like, if I may, to compliment the Deputies who have spoken on refraining from making any comment whatever on the merits or the causes of the strike.

Deputies have asked me to intervene in this matter. I can assure the House that if I were satisfied that intervention on my part would be helpful, would be the means of bringing to an end this strike, I would not on any technicality, refrain from intervening.

The facts are as they have been outlined by Deputies. Deputy Cowan mentioned that, even at the moment, well-intentioned efforts are being made to settle this strike. Conversations are proceeding and, in the light of that, and without any desire whatever to burke discussion or to shed responsibility, I think at the moment the least said about this matter, the better.

I think that there is now, anyway, a desire on the part of the two unions to try to reach a settlement at the earliest possible moment. The best service that we can give to the people who are the innocent sufferers in this matter is to bring about that settlement at the earliest possible moment, and to bring it about in the best atmosphere.

I do not know that the House will expect me to say any more at the moment. The House even may consider that I have said very little, but I would like to assure the Deputies who have raised this matter, and to assure the public outside, that the Government are fully conscious of the hardship which is caused. They are also conscious of the fact that has been stressed here, that the longer this strike lasts the graver the danger there is of its spreading.

I feel the good sense of the responsible parties on both sides in this dispute will prevail, and I am sincerely hopeful that we will have a settlement very early.

Perhaps I should not try to say any more at this moment, unless to emphasise that, so far as I am concerned, there would not be any reluctance on my part to face up to the responsibility of intervening if I thought intervention was going to be helpful. It is the easiest thing in the world to intervene in matters, but it is not always easy to determine beforehand whether that intervention is going to be for good or evil.

Mr. O'Leary

You will have to go to the London centre.

The Dáil adjourned at 10.55 p.m. until 3 p.m. on Tuesday, 7th March, 1950.