Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 July 2022
290. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Transport his plans to remove taxi licences from vehicles over ten years old; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this will cause significant financial hardship to taxi drivers; if he will review the application of this rule in situations where the NCT test continues to demonstrate good and safe roadworthiness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37789/22]
View answerThe regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) sector, including age limits for SPSVs, is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013.
Given the need to maintain vehicle standards, there is no consideration being given to amending these age-related rules now, or again in the future.
The Department remains committed to supporting the transition of the SPSV fleet towards zero/low-emission vehicles. The electric small public service vehicle (eSPSV) grant scheme was put in place to support the greening of the taxi sector. The Scheme is funded by the Department and administered by the NTA. The SPSV industry is regarded as a champion in the normalisation of electric vehicle use, and €15m was allocated in 2022 to support the industry to switch to electric.
The 2022 eSPSV Grant Scheme (eSPSV22) received 1,146 applications to end May 2022, including 935 applying for the higher-end grant for scrapping their older vehicle. 125 new eSPSVs have been licensed to date in 2022.
eSPSV22 was paused for new applications in April to allow operators with grant offers the time to finalise their car purchase and draw down funding. The Department announced on 26 June 2022 that eSPSV22 will re-open for applications on 1 August, and the application form will be published on the NTA's website that same day. Applications will be accepted up to 30 November 2022 for this Scheme, with no extension being considered. Vehicles must be licensed (passed the suitability inspection) by 31 December 2022 to get the funding. If this has not happened, operators must wait and apply to any future grant Schemes which might be launched by the Department.
You may be aware that Microfinance Ireland is still providing the so-called eSPSV Business Loan, which is available to support SPSV owners that are unable to secure finance from banks and asset finance providers, and are availing of the eSPSV Grant Scheme to replace their vehicle with a more sustainable model (electric/hybrid). These loans range from €5,000 to €25,000, with a fixed interest rate of 4.5% if submitted through a Local Enterprise Office, and with no additional fees or charges.
In light of the NTA's responsibility regarding vehicle age limits, I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.
