Taxpayers will pay for protest: Harney

Tánaiste Mary Harney has said taxpayers will have to pay for the estimated €1m loss that today's "no fares" protest will cause.

Tánaiste Mary Harney has said taxpayers will have the pay for the estimated €1m loss that today's "no fares" protest will cause.

Ms Harney insisted the break up of CIE and privatisation of Dublin Bus services was necessary to Ireland's economic success.

Ms Harney said: "CIE is a heavily subsidised company, so it's not the company, but the taxpayers of Ireland who will pay for the losses of today. "I don't think it's the way to do business.

"What we have managed to do in Ireland over the past 16 years since partnership is to change the way we do things, find solutions and that's what's brought unprecedented economic success.

"Unless we continue to embrace change, we're not going to have the kind of economic success that we all want to see."