Taxi Regulations

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 June 2013

Tuesday, 11 June 2013

Ceisteanna (1070, 1071)

Dessie Ellis

Ceist:

1070. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans and rationale for the new rural hackney scheme that he has proposed. [27170/13]

Dessie Ellis

Ceist:

1071. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason he has not responded to a request from the Taxi Alliance for a meeting to discuss the proposed rural hackney system. [27171/13]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1070 and 1071 together. 

The National Transport Authority (NTA) is the lead agency with responsibility for implementation of the recommendations of the Taxi Regulation Review Report 2011. Action 46 of the Review Report proposes the introduction of a "local area hackney licence" for rural locations having a low level or, in some cases, no level of SPSV transport services.  The NTA has developed a proposal to facilitate the low cost entry to the hackney market for transport provision in these rural areas and the proposal has been submitted to the Taxi Advisory Committee for its consideration.

As I have stated on previous occasions, the most appropriate channel for the concerns of the representative groups in the SPSV sector to be addressed is the Taxi Advisory Committee.