Ahern calls for €2bn CIÉ funding to be addressed in talks

CIÉ has received €2 billion in funding from the taxpayer in the past six years, the Taoiseach said yesterday.

The cost of subsidising the national bus and rail network will be discussed by the Minister for Transport Seamus Brennan and union chiefs in talks on transport issues in the coming weeks.

Unions will meet with Mr Brennan later this week to discuss the implementation of the scrapping of Aer Rianta, making Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports independent entities. But Mr Brennan will also debate his plans for CIÉ and a second independent terminal at Dublin Airport with the unions.