Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 December 2004
198 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Transport the action he will take to address public concern regarding safety in taxis in view of the high number of convicted felons who have been granted taxi licences. [32532/04]
View answerUnder existing provisions in the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations 1963 to 2002 every applicant for a licence to drive small public service vehicles, that is, taxis, hackneys and limousines, must satisfy the Garda Commissioner that he or she is, inter alia, a fit and proper person to hold a licence. All applicants for such licences are vetted by the Garda for the purpose of establishing if applicants are fit and proper persons to hold such licences. The Garda Commissioner may at any time revoke a licence to drive a small public service vehicle if he considers that the holder of the licence is no longer a fit and proper person to hold such a licence. It is open to individual licence applicants to appeal Garda decisions to refuse or revoke a licence to the courts. Information regarding the number of convicted persons who have been granted a licence to drive small public service vehicles on appeal to the courts is not available in my Department.
Under the Taxi Regulation Act 2003, the principal function of the Commission for Taxi Regulation is the development and maintenance of a new regulatory framework for the control and operation of small public service vehicles and their drivers. This will include the overall development and application of new standards and requirements for drivers, licence holders and for vehicles.
Section 36 of the Taxi Regulation Act 2003 provides for a system of automatic disqualification from applying for or holding a small public service vehicle driver or vehicle licence in respect of persons who have been convicted of one of a range of very serious offences, including murder, manslaughter and various sexual, drug trafficking and other offences. A person who is affected by these provisions can request the courts to allow him or her to apply for a licence in certain restricted circumstances. In addition, where a person has been convicted of one of a number of other serious driving offences, he or she will be disqualified from applying for or continuing to hold a licence to drive a small public service vehicle for a period additional to any driving disqualification that is applied.
The Road Traffic Bill 2004, which is currently before the House for consideration, provides for the amendment to section 36 of the Taxi Regulation Act 2003 to clarify certain aspects of the section and to facilitate a more effective implementation process. The amendments do not affect the overall focus of the original section which aims to promote a safer environment for the users of small public service vehicles.
Since 2 August 2004, with the commencement of section 37(1) of the Taxi Regulation Act 2003, a taxi, wheelchair accessible taxi, hackney or limousine licence or a licence to drive such vehicles will not be granted or renewed unless the applicant produces to the licensing authority, that is, the local authority or the Garda, as appropriate, a tax clearance certificate issued by the Revenue Commissioners under section 1095 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997.
