The threat of traffic disruption in Dublin this morning has been averted by the intervention of the Labour Relations Commission in the DART dispute.
The chief executive of the LRC, Mr Kieran Mulvey, asked Iarnrod Eireann to defer training for new drivers this morning in order to provide a breathing space for further discussion of the issues.
The head of human resources at the company, Mr John Keenan, said it had "decided to defer training its new drivers following contact from Mr Mulvey who, we understand, will now be exploring the situation with all of the parties".
However, the company was still holding to its position that it had a Labour Court recommendation that allowed it to recruit and train DART drivers to expand its services to Greystones and Malahide.
"All we're doing is creating a space to try and resolve the dispute," Mr Keenan said.
"We are of course glad that the unacceptable threat of industrial action involving withdrawal of services to 80,000 passengers has been withdrawn for the moment.
"I would hope that sense will prevail and that the Labour Court recommendation will be accepted in full."
The assistant general secretary of the National Bus and Railworkers' Union, Mr Liam Tobin, said he was "very happy the LRC has intervened and agreed to a review of the situation".
He expected this to take place next week.
Referring to the decision of the company to defer again its plans for training new drivers, Mr Tobin said: "We welcome the fact that the company has agreed to work within procedures. It's what we've been looking for all along. We are very happy with Mr Mulvey's intervention."
While the unions are treating the LRC intervention as something of a victory, it is significant that Mr Mulvey did not attempt to broker a deal between the two sides.
When talks broke down on Friday the unions had told Iarnrod Eireann that drivers would probably settle for the £8,000-a-head Labour Court award to allow new trainees on the DART provided it was made on a tax-free basis. Alternatively, the drivers might accept £11,000 if some of the lump sum was tax-free.
This was a significant climbdown from the original trade union position, but the company had felt that any concession of more money than that provided for in the Labour Court award would lead to knock-on claims from mainline drivers and other grades. It would also send out the wrong signal to drivers on Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann, where pay rises of 20 per cent are being sought.
It is clear the LRC shares the concerns about the implications of conceding the DART drivers' union demands, not just for CIE but the public sector generally. There is also the position of the Labour Court to consider. It issued the original award to DART drivers.
Mr Mulvey and the chairman of the court, Mr Finbarr Flood, are expected to discuss the issues before Iarnrod Eireann or the two unions become involved in talks.
The delays will not interfere with plans for talks to begin on a general viability plan for the DART, scheduled to begin on September 27th. The only real casualty is the community of Greystones, which expected to have a DART service two months ago.