Education Minister Richard Bruton has backed Shane Ross’s insistence the State must not become a “sugar daddy” to end the Dublin Bus strike, claiming it would be a “disaster” to hand over public money to resolve the dispute.

Bosses at Iarnród Éireann have laid the blame for wildcat strike action, which has ground rail services to a halt, at the door of Cork drivers.

TRANSPORT Minister Seamus Brennan is facing threatened strikes by bus, train and airport workers this summer if he proceeds with plans to break up CIE and Aer Rianta.