I am glad to see that my constituency colleague is present to allay any fears I may have about this issue. A debate on the criteria for issuing public service vehicle licences may appear to be obscure and an unwarranted imposition on the time of this House but it is not.
A situation has developed in Cork City which is perhaps unique but I believe the rest of the country will experience it in due course. There are a mixture of taxis and hackney cabs operating in Cork City and the system has worked extremely well during the past five years. Approximately 400 to 600 hackney cabs service the city at any time which makes for a unique and excellent public transport service. However, a peculiar situation has been brought to my attention by constituents who expressed shock when they realised it was nothing new. They inquired with regard to why something is not being done and why the law and the criteria for issuing of public service vehicle licences remain unchanged.
This situation relates mainly to men — although increasing numbers of women are becoming involved in operating hackney cabs — who apply for public service vehicle licences which cost a relatively small amount. They apply at the age of 40 to 50 years, by which time the hackney industry is virtually the only area in which they can obtain worthwhile employment. They are people of good character, upright citizens and family men who, in the main, have never had a brush with the law during the past 20 to 30 years.
I have been approached by people who were refused public service vehicle licences. In one case it emerged that the applicant had been found in possession of a stolen rug 23 years ago. The rug was not from the Shah of Iran's palace but was something that a person would throw before their front door or fireplace. The man in question was convicted and fined £2 and 23 years later, following a Garda investigation of his record, he has been debarred from employment as a result. This is disgraceful.
I was approached by another man who was convicted and fined £1 for selling Easter lilies 26 years ago. I sympathised with him because the only reason I was not in a simlar position was that I was quicker than he. The man involved cannot obtain worthwhile employment. He is not a thug or blackguard who beats up elderly people and was never convicted of assault, sexual assault, drunken driving or anything which would lead people to worry about his driving a hackney cab or taxi. For incurring fines of £1 and £2, 26 and 23 years ago respectively, these men are debarred from worthwhile employment.
I am not certain who is responsible for this. The Department of the Environment is responsible for issuing the licences but I do not know who is responsible for investigating legal records. The Minister responsible should change this outrageous condition and place some kind of moratorium regarding offences which people committed in their youth. It must be ensured that people can avail of employment opportunities. We are insisting the people remain dependent on the State because of minor infringements and placing a blight on their characters. I ask the Minister of State to be sympathetic and introduce some worthwhile proposals for which he will have the gratitude of the people of Cork and, eventually, the rest of the country.