When will Shane Ross actually start doing his job? – Troy

As talks between Dublin Bus and the transport unions break down and a strike in the capital is confirmed, Fianna Fáil Transport Spokesperson Robert Troy TD has criticised the ongoing failure of Shane Ross to demonstrate any grasp for the challenges facing the transport sector or any vision of what he actually plans to do in the role.

Deputy Troy commented, “As many thousands of commuters face chaos in the coming weeks, public patience with Shane Ross is wearing very thin. Fresh from the OCI crisis in Rio, Mr Ross has returned to some sort of roving role as Minister without Portfolio or Responsibility.

“He spent the last three days wrestling with his conscience on one of the most basic tenets of national industrial development policy, undermining the country’s response in international media markets in the process.

“Today, while the transport talks were going off the rails, he was holding court on the plinth at Leinster House confirming that after careful and studied deliberation he was going to follow what was the only realistic path open to the Government in the first place.

“And to top off a busy week, later this evening he will appear on the Late Late Show.

“At some stage the penny will drop with Shane Ross that he is in Government with Cabinet responsibility for a very important portfolio. To date he has failed to spell out any vision or any sense of his priorities. He has offered his opinion on a great many issues, but we still have no idea what he is going to do about the huge transport challenges that are emerging.

“Shane Ross is in a very privileged position as member of Government. The time has come for us to see what he plans to actually do with it.”