Transport Minister Shane Ross has today rejected calls from trade unions at Bus Éireann to facilitate talks on the future of the company.

Unions have held back from calling strike action following company demands for a major cost cutting plan.

Bus Éireann management said that all 2,600 jobs will be lost if the company is not rescued from insolvency by year end.

Unions have called on Minister Ross to facilitate talks, but the Minister has this afternoon ruled that out.

“What I’m not going to do is interfere in the industrial dispute, and I made it absolutely clear that that is not my business,” he said.

“If this is a way of interfering in the industrial dispute, or any forum which would interfere with the industrial dispute, or involves me the industrial dispute, the answer is – I will not get involved.”