Brendan Howlin
Question:70 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the plans, if any, he has to alter the current taxi licensing scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2453/98]
Written Answers. - Taxi Forum.
John Bruton
Question:80 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the current position in relation to the forum on taxis in Dublin. [1353/98]
Proinsias De Rossa
Question:193 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if the Dublin Taxi Forum which was announced following An Taoiseach's meeting with the Irish Taxi Drivers' Federation and the National Taxi Drivers' Union has been established; if so, if it has met to date in 1998; if he will outline the membership and terms of reference; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1590/98]
John Bruton
Question:198 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government whether his Department has made any submissions to the Taxi Forum which he established in 1997. [1172/98]
John Bruton
Question:199 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government whether his Department was represented at the meetings, if any, which have taken place of the Taxi Forum; if so, the individual who represented his Department; and the report, if any, he has received of the forum's work to date. [22716/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 70, 80, 193, 198 and 199 together.
The terms of reference and membership of the Dublin Taxi Forum are as follows.
The forum has met on two occasions to date and it is hoped to conclude its work by June 1998. My Department has been represented at both forum meetings and has contributed to the discussions and by way of a background paper. Further contributions are likely to be made by all parties.
No recommendations have yet been addressed by the forum to me or any other party concerned with taxi services in Dublin. Pending recommendations from the forum, I have no proposal at present to amend the current regime regarding the issue of taxi licences in Dublin, much of which now stands devolved to Dublin Corporation.
The terms of reference of the forum are, within the overall requirement of improving public transport services in the Dublin area, to assist the regulatory authorities concerned and service providers towards an agreed vision for small public service vehicle operations in Dublin. For this purpose the forum may consider reports, submissions and views from interested parties on measures to improve the operation of small PSV services. In this connection, the forum will be able to avail of work being carried out by consultants appointed by Dublin Corporation, on behalf of the four Dublin local authorities, to undertake a comprehensive examination of taxi-hackney services in Dublin. Following its own deliberations, the forum will address recommendations to the parties concerned.
The forum will be chaired by the chairman of the Dublin Transportation Office and comprise representatives of Dublin taxi organisations, the Departments of the Taoiseach, Environment and Local Government and Public Enterprise, the Garda Síochána, nominees of the managers of the four Dublin local authorities, and two nominees of the DTO consultative panel representing business and personal customer interest. The forum will be free to co-opt further members as it may require.
The membership of the forum comprises the following: John Mahony, Dublin Transportation Office (Chairman); Niall Callan, Department of the Environment and Local Government; Tom Coffey, Dublin Transportation Office, consultative panel, representing business interests; John Fearon, Department of Public Enterprise; Tommy Gorman, National Taxi Drivers Union; Donagh Morgan, Department of the Taoiseach; Catherine Murphy, Dublin Transportation Office, consultative panel, representing consumer interests; Chief Superintendent John O'Brien, An Garda Síochána; John Usher, Irish Taxi Drivers' Federation; Con Coll, Dublin Corporation, representing the managers of the four Dublin local authorities and Councillor Stanley Laing, representing the committee — taxi-hackney — of members of the four Dublin local authorities.