Union representatives at SIPTU have said there is not enough in the Minister of Transport's latest letter to convince them to withdraw the strike action planned for March 18th.
National industrial secretary Mr Michael Halpenny said the CIE strike committee of SIPTU met for almost four and a half hours at Liberty Hall today to consider the minister's letter, in which he said he was "open to new proposals" about the future transport needs of Dublin.
"It is with great scepticism that we have agreed to enter a talks process under an independent chairperson. If there is an early indication that meaningful progress is being made we will suspend that date for industrial action," Mr. Halpenny said this evening.
Mr Brennan's letter to SIPTU and the National Bus and Railworkers' Union said he was open to new proposals about the future transport needs of Dublin. The NBRU yesterday gave what it said was a "cautious welcome" to the correspondence.
The letter said Mr Brennan was "firmly of the view" that franchising out routes was the best way of opening the market to new entrants. "However, he remains open to 'reasonable proposals' relating to the pace of the introduction of competition," it added.
The unions have been in a stand-off with the minister since December, when Mr Brennan made public comments about his commitment to breaking up CIÉ .They say his comments were inappropriate given the ongoing talks between the unions and senior department officials on CIÉ.
But the minister has insisted he is entitled to comment on his plans for the future of public transport and on his policies generally.