Vol. 512 No. 5
100 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will amend the current points system and remove the difference in treatment of people who hold or held a hackney licence within the past two years in view of the fact its removal would allow them to apply for taxis subject to qualifications, years of service and insurance record; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26552/99]
The criteria for the assessment of applications for the grant of taxi or wheelchair accessible taxi licences were revised by regulations made in February 1999 at the request of the Dublin local authorities and following discussions with a number of urban local authorities.
The new points system relaxes earlier provisions which excluded all previous hackney licence holders from the fullest allocation of points. A more limited restriction in this respect now applies only to persons who have held a hackney licence within the previous relevant two years.
The Government has decided that increases in Dublin taxi numbers should include an additional 500 taxi licences to be offered on the basis of the existing points system. Other arrangements will of course be necessary in the case of taxi licences to be offered to existing licence holders.
101 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will bring forward or arrange with financial institutions a scheme to give loans to successful applicants of new taxi plates in view of the fact some people granted plates cannot get on the road as they do not have backing assets being local authority tenants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26553/99]
It is, in principle, the responsibility of taxi licence holders themselves to arrange for the financing of their business requirements. Subject to this general principle, I am open to discussing with Dublin taxi industry interests any constraints on mobilising the increased taxi numbers and the improved public service on which the Government has determined.
