Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 7 May 1991

Vol. 407 No. 9

Written Answers. - Taxi and Hackney Service Review.

Michael Bell

Question:

31 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for the Environment if he will outline, in relation to the interdepartmental review of the taxi and hackney service, which he referred to in Dáil Éireann on 6 February 1991 (1) the review body's terms of reference, (2) its composition, (3) its chairman, (4) the date the committee was appointed, (5) the number of meetings held to date and the date such meetings were held and (6) the date he will announce details of the review procedure as indicated by him on 6 February 1991; whether his target of six months, namely 6 August 1991, will be met; the deadline set for the submission of the report to him; whether the report will be published; whether the enactment of primary legislation is envisaged; the number of taxi and hackney licences currently issued per local authority unit; the extent to which the relevant local authorities will be or already have been involved in the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for the Environment (Mr. Flynn)

The Interdepartmental Committee in question will be set up within the next two weeks and details of the review and the precise terms of reference will be announced at that time. The committee will consist of representatives from the Department of Justice, the Department of Tourism, Transport and Communications and the Garda Síochána and a representative of my own Department who will be chairman. When details of the review are announced, local authorities and other interested bodies and individuals will be free to submit views for consideration by the committee.

The committee will be asked to report as quickly as possible, and, at the latest, within six months. I cannot anticipate what the outcome of the review may be. I will consider publication of the committee's report at a later stage.

Small public service vehicles are at present licensed by the Garda Commissioner, acting through units throughout the country. The recording of the issue of small public service vehicle licences is a matter for the Garda Commissioner and as I have no direct involvement in that process, I do not have direct access to information relating to the overall numbers of such licences.

While local authorities in areas where public hire vehicles operate have a function in determining the number of new public hire licences which can be made available annually, they have no direct involvement in the licensing of private hire vehicles or in the decisions of the Garda Commissioner relating to applications for public hire licences.