Train-drivers were urged in the Dail to end their disruption of services and to look again at the benefits the new restructuring deal would bring them.

The Minister for Public Enterprise, Mrs O'Rourke, said it was totally unacceptable that rail-users should be deprived of services "by this unofficial and unnecessary action".

She asked the drivers to "consider the damage which their action is causing to the image of the railway as an effective means of public transport and an attractive alternative to the private car, particularly at a time when Government has committed itself to substantial investment to renew and develop our national railway system".

During a special debate on the disruption of train services by the Irish Locomotive Drivers' Association (ILDA), the Minister apologised to mainline and suburban rail customers for "this unofficial and unnecessary industrial dispute".

She repeated that there was no prospect of intervention by the State's industrial relations machinery because Iarnrod Eireann was not prepared to negotiate with the drivers.

"The company's position is that it has negotiated an agreement with the recognised trade unions representing drivers and it is now proceeding to implement that agreement. It is not prepared to negotiate with the Irish Locomotive Drivers' Association and considers that to do so would be unlawful, having regard to a recent High Court decisions. It would also be contrary to the orderly conduct of industrial relations in the company."

She said that over the past three years the rail company had negotiated a restructuring package for drivers with its two officially recognised trade unions, SIPTU and the NBRU. The package was accepted by both unions and new rosters began on June 18th. SIPTU and the NBRU locomotive-drivers were operating the new rosters but other locomotive-drivers were not.

Ms Olivia Mitchell (FG, Dublin South) said there was a case to be answered in regard to whether individual grievances could be addressed. She asked if an independent third party could be introduced to resolve the dispute.

The Minister said ILDA did not have a negotiating licence and was not a representative union, and the High Court ruled that the ILDA did not have the right to "use the statutory instrument" to enter into collective bargaining.

Labour's public enterprise spokesman, Mr Emmet Stagg, said it was not in anybody's interest "other than people who wish to cause trouble generally, to have fragmentation of unions within CIE. That is not in the interest of the company, the workers or the travelling public".

Fine Gael's deputy leader, Mrs Nora Owen, asked if the Minister could do anything further to encourage members of the ILDA to agree to the deal negotiated, but Ms O'Rourke replied that the High Court ruled that the ILDA did not have a negotiating licence.