Transport Minister unsure if Dublin Bus taskforce can end dispute

The Transport Minister, Leo Varadkar, said he doesn't know if a new taskforce will have any success in ending a long-running dispute at Dublin Bus.

A new group has been set up to examine how the company can cut costs after bus drivers rejected the plans.

Drivers, who are rejecting plans to cut costs by €11.7m, held a three-day strike over the issue last month.

Varadkar says it's a long-running dispute that may not be easy to solve.

I really don't know- it's been going for 16 months, which is a very long time," he said.

I would always have been hopeful in the past that people would respect labour court recommendations - unions and employers, both sides.

"That is the case here," he said. "Everyone in Dublin Bus has accepted the Labour Court recommendations, except the driver grade."