There have been angry exchanges at the Oireachtas Transport Committee this afternoon, where Minister Shane Ross repeatedly refused to step into the Bus Eireann row.

The Transport Minister says it's up to management and unions at Bus Eireann to resolve the crisis at the company.

Unions have promised an all-out, indefinite strike from Monday as the company plans to implement pay cuts and avert insolvency.

Juliette Gash reports;

The NBRU is accusing the Transport Minister of not caring for rural dwellers who live on soon-to-be-closed Bus Eireann routes.

Bus Eireann has identified a number of routes for closure, the first being the Dublin-Clonmel route.

It’s part of cost saving measures the company says are essential to avoid insolvency, but an indefinite strike begins Monday over planned pay cuts.

The Transport Minister and National Transport Authority say the X7 route is well served by private operators.

But General Secretary of the NBRU, Dermot O’Leary says some passengers will be left with just a minibus;

Link to NBRU media clip: https://t.co/6x4xInPI33

NBRU ACCUSE NTA OF TREATING RURAL IRELAND AS SECOND CLASS CITIZENShttps://t.co/XazqU2a6mX pic.twitter.com/QL8wEWVoF1

— NBRU (@NBRU_DUBLIN) March 1, 2017