Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 10 Feb 2000

Vol. 514 No. 2

Written Answers. - Taxi Regulations.

Noel Ahern

Question:

102 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the reason there is a points deduction when issuing taxi plates for people who held a hackney licence within the past few years; if this rule is from the date of issue or expiry of the licence; if the effective expiry date for points deduction could be earlier if a driver could prove he had moved to a cosy worker within the life of the licence; and if he will amend regulations and withdraw this penalty against ex-hackney licence holders as it acts as a barrier to cosy drivers from qualifying for a taxi plate. [3872/00]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Molloy)

The use of a points system criteria for the assessment of applications for the grant of taxi licences was introduced in 1991 and has been the subject of a number of amendments, most recently in February, 1999, following consultation with local authorities and other interested parties. The criteria give priority to taxi drivers, for example, cosies, who have never held taxi, wheelchair accessible taxi or hackney licences, in relation to the allocation of new taxi licences.

The amendment of the criteria made in February 1999 relaxes earlier provisions which excluded all previous hackney licence holders from the fullest allocation of points. A more limited restriction now applies only to persons who have held a hackney licence within the previous relevant two years; the point of reference for this period is the date of publication of the notice by the licensing authority in relation to the relevant determination to grant new taxi licences.

The administration of the above provisions is the responsibility of the local licensing authority concerned.