Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 28 Feb 2002

Vol. 550 No. 1

Written Answers. - Taxi Regulations.

Eamon Gilmore

Ceist:

49 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the membership and terms of reference of the taxi hardship panel; if his attention has been drawn to claims that the number of complaints regarding taxi drivers in Dublin has more than doubled since deregulation; the steps he is taking to ensure acceptable standards in the taxi service in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6953/02]

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

128 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will give details of the membership of the panel to evaluate applications from taxi drivers for compensation; the terms of reference within which they will operate; and the financial limits which have been given to them formally or informally for a compensation scheme. [7257/02]

Ivor Callely

Ceist:

133 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the procedures which are to be put in place for taxi drivers to put their case to the panel of three independent persons under the taxi hardship panel; the manner in which cases are to be presented and evaluated; the moneys allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7311/02]

Ivor Callely

Ceist:

134 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the terms of reference of the taxi hardship panel; the membership of the panel and their knowledge of the taxi industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7312/02]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 49, 128, 133 and 134 together.

I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 293 and 300 of 26 February 2002. The Government has appointed three independent persons, Mr. Kevin Bonner, Mr. Bill Attley and Ms Ann Riordan to form a taxi hardship panel. The panel has been asked to report in general terms on the nature and extent of extreme personal financial hardship experienced by individual taxi licence holders arising from loss of income as a direct result of the liberalisation of the taxi licensing regime on 21 November 2000, including an estimate of the numbers of individual licence holders involved, the likely financial implications and the recommended criteria for assessment of extreme personal financial hardship under any subsequent proposed response by Government. The report of the findings of the panel will then be presented to Government.

My Department has received no information from the Garda authorities or Dublin City Council to suggest that the level of complaints about taxi drivers in Dublin has doubled. Standards and requirements for applicants for the licensing of taxi and hackney drivers continue, as adminis tered by the gardaí, on the same basis as prior to liberalisation.

I recently announced the publication of a consultation paper prepared by my Department relating to the development of qualitative improvements in taxi services and advertisements inviting submissions from all interested parties by 30 April 2002 were placed in the national newspapers on 12 February 2002. The consultation paper has been prepared against the background of the liberalised regime of taxi licensing, the provisions of the Disability Bill and the stated policy that, by end 2003, the process will commence of making all taxi vehicles wheelchair accessible.

The purpose of the paper is to set out the general framework and focus for a review of the relevant elements of the public service vehicle regulations for the purpose of supporting the overall process. The review will encompass: consideration of the regulation of taxi services including the standards to be applied to taxi vehicles in the future; the licensing arrangements to be applied to taxi drivers and the operators of taxi services; the provision of services at particular times of the day; how best to secure a high quality cost effective taxi service which meets a wide range of needs including those of disabled passengers.

The merits of the rationalisation of the current regulatory regime and the roles of various State and local bodies will also be considered in the review.