[MrX]

Well, given that they're ultimately responsible to the Minister for Transport and given that he has allowed this situation to occur and reoccur we really should be calling for his immediate resignation. He's obviously incapable of dealing with CIE and specifically with the issues that are going on at Iarnrod Eireann.

Regardless of what the internal problems are within Irish Rail, passengers are being seriously inconvenienced and it's damaging the reliability of the public transport system.

All the shiny new trains and stations in the world won't make the slightest bit of difference if the company that's operating them is so incompetent that between them they can't manage to agree a drivers roster!

Something must change a.s.a.p. and I really think it's about time the minister felt the heat on this one. He's not taking any responsibility for it. I know the CIE Unions and the whole HR issue within CIE companies are political hot potatoes that no one wants to touch, but it's about time that someone did something about it. The current situation is totally unacceptable. It can only be resolved through deep changes within CIE and a whole cultural shift out of the 19th century. This union vs management and management vs union stand off situation is simply nuts in this day and age. The management structures are clearly harking back to the Victorian era.