CIE returned to overall profit last year but has warned that additional funding will be needed if its Bus Éireann division is to avoid generating a loss from its public service obligation (PSO) services this year.

Trade union representatives are due to begin three days of negotiations with officials from the Department of Transport today about the future of public transport in Ireland.

The bus and rail strike planned for next week looks to have been averted after plans to privatise certain Dublin Bus routes were dropped late last night by the Minister for Transport, Seamus Brennan.

Union spokesman Liam Tobin has said his members will not accept any move by the Government move to licence private operators at the expense of Dublin Bus.

CIE unions and management are due to resume talks at the Labour Relations Commission today in an effort to avert a series of strikes due to start next week.

Commuters faced the prospect of crippling bus and rail stoppages tonight after one of the largest public transport unions voted to begin strike action

CIE is reportedly considering the sale of some or all its Dublin Bus depots in a move that could raise of hundreds of millions of euro for reinvestment in public transport.

CIÉ unions and the Department of Transport are meeting at the Labour Relations Commission today for talks on the future of the public transport company.

SIPTU’s CIE strike committee is considering the possibility of legal action against the union leadership’s decision to call off today’s bus and rail strike.

A small number of DART services in Dublin have been cancelled this morning after several drivers failed to show up for work.

Business group ISME is blaming inter-union rivalry for next week's planned work stoppage at CIE.

The union representing most bus drivers is meeting today to decide whether to back SIPTU's work stoppage in CIE next week.

The President of the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland (CCI) has strongly criticised CIE transport workers for their strike action, for what he coined as "continued efforts to hold the public to ransom in order to frustrate Government policy".

The National Bus and Railworkers Union responded to the Tanaiste's criticism by insisting their actions were a protest against privatisation and not change.

The Tánaiste Mary Harney has criticised the decision by public transport workers to stop work for four hours today.

Widespread disruption was expected on public transport today as union members staged a four-hour strike across Ireland.

SIPTU officials at CIÉ are determined to press ahead with strike action next Monday despite hinting they might be willing to enter into talks over the weekend.

SIPTU's strike committee will meet this afternoon to discuss their next move in relation to the four hour work stoppage planned by the NBRU on Monday.

Transport Minister has told the CIÉ group of unions that he wants to resume discussions on the planned break up of the company.

The CIÉ group of unions have said they will re-activate a programme of industrial action if the Minister for Transport does not respond to them by Friday.

Transport Minister Seamus Brennan is due to respond today to union demands that he scrap his plans to privatise 25% of Dublin Bus routes.

An independent facilitator may be appointed to chair talks in the CIE dispute.

Union representatives will meet Transport Minister Seamus Brennan today in a last-ditch attempt to defuse a dispute over privatisation.

The threat of transport strikes has been lifted, temporarily at least.

The Green Party has accused Transport Minister Seamus Brennan of engaging in a macho stand-off with trade unions representing public transport workers.

The Chambers of Commerce of Ireland have criticised threats by CIÉ workers to reinstate their campaign of action against the Government’s plan to break up the company and privatise 25% of Dublin Bus routes.

Commuters across Ireland are likely to face disruption to bus and train services within two weeks, trade union leaders warned today.

The Labour Party has called on the Taoiseach to intervene in the dispute between the Department of Transport and unions representing workers at CIÉ.

The National Bus and Workers Union met this afternoon to consider resuming the protest against the planned break up of CIE.

Travel chaos is looming for public transport users in coming weeks as the row over the break-up of CIÉ intensifies.

The National Bus and Railworkers Union has accused Transport Minister Seamus Brennan of "a shameless act of treachery" for making public statements about his plans to break up CIE while talks on the matter were on-going.

Iarnrod Eireann, Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann are to recoup wages paid to staff involved in yesterday's 'no fares' protest, which provided a day of free public transport.

Union leaders with CIE last night threatened more action after they claimed the 'no fares' protest was successful.

Unions representing employees of CIE are due to meet today to discuss planned industrial action.

Fine Gael's Denis Naughten is demanding the Minister for Transport publish a report into the financial impact on the public if the CIE holding company is dissolved.

SIPTU has welcomed CIE's decision to postpone planned rail closures on the Limerick-Rosslare and Limerick-Ballybrophy routes.

CIE's board of directors has decided to postpone a decision on the closure of the Limerick-Rosslare and Limerick-Ballybrophy rail lines.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said any CIE decision to axe certain rail services will not be enacted until the completion of a rail strategy review.

The board of CIE meets today to make a final decision on whether unprofitable freight services at Irish Rail should be closed down.

The Oireachtas inquiry investigating the CIE mini-CTC scandal will have to wait until next Wednesday to find out if it can continue its proceedings.

The Oireachtas committee investigating the controversial CIE mini-CTC contract has heard that engineers had reservations about the successful bidder for the contract.

The Oireachtas inquiry into CIE’s controversial mini-CTC signalling system will resume public hearings this morning.

Irish taxpayers will not have to pay the legal costs of witnesses called before the Oireachtas inquiry into CIE’s controversial mini-CTC safety system, it was announced today.

An Oireachtas committee will begin examining CIE’s controversial mini-CTC signalling system later today.