Darren O'Rourke
Question:45. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the status of his plans to support the taxi industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25926/20]
View answerWednesday, 23 September 2020
Questions (45)
Written answers
I recognise that COVID-19 has had a profound impact on public transport and the small public service vehicle industry. Passenger demand for taxis and other small public service vehicle (SPSV) services has fallen considerably and many operators stopped working temporarily. I understand that at present demand for taxis is about 30% of normal levels and my Department and the National Transport Authority (NTA) will continue to engage with the Advisory Committee on SPSVs as to how to best support the industry though this difficult time.
SPSV operators have benefited from the actions taken by the statutory regulator, the NTA, to reduce the immediate financial burden on SPSV operators and to make it easier for them to return to the industry when circumstances change. These actions included licence extensions, the waiver of late licence renewal fees and, in conjunction with the motor insurance industry, the suspension of SPSV insurance for those operators who decided to temporarily stop working and suspend their licences. Since the onset of the pandemic, the NTA has communicated regularly with individual SPSV operators in relation to the impact of COVID-19 on the SPSV industry. It has also published information on its website for the SPSV industry, including guidance on the installation of screens and guidelines on how to keep vehicles clean to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The Government’s July Stimulus Package, co-ordinated by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, built on the extensive enterprise and employment supports already deployed by Government in response to COVID-19 with the aim of helping to get Ireland’s businesses, including SPSV businesses, back on their feet. The Department of Transport and the NTA have been working together alongside other Government Departments to ensure that SPSV operators, many of whom are self-employed, can avail of the range of COVID-19 financial support measures to the greatest extent possible.
Self-employed operators can avail of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), which remains open to new applicants until the end of the year and is available until April 2021. On exiting the PUP, operators can avail of the COVID-19 Enterprise Support Grant. A once-off grant of up to €1,000, this grant can be used towards the costs associated with reopening a business, including the purchase of cleaning materials and personal protective equipment.
Self-employed SPSV operators, who were profitable in 2019 but not in 2020 due to COVID-19, may be able to avail of an income tax relief allowing for up to €25,000 of losses from this year to be offset against profits from 2019. They can also avail of liquidity and investment measures such as the COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme and the COVID-19 Business Loans Scheme, both of which fall within the aegis of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.