The Transport Minister has rejected criticism of his handling of the on-going Dublin Bus dispute.

Shane Ross says he won’t intervene in the row over pay because he doesn’t want to give the impression that the government is a soft touch.

Drivers at Dublin Bus will tonight end their second 48 hour stoppage, with a further 15 strike days planned for the coming weeks.

But Minister Ross says he is not going to get involved in the industrial dispute.

“The shareholders don’t step in in industrial disputes. It’s a matter for the management and it’s a matter for the unions to settle this between them.”