Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the visitors. We have been discussing the taxi legislation in the Seanad for the past week, and there were a number of interesting points and ideas formulated. One or two of the main elements have been covered by Deputy O'Donovan and the Chairman, and I support them totally. They are serious aspects which must be examined by the Garda, regardless of whether the matter is heard in the Dáil next week. The issue will probably have to return to us.

A couple of weeks ago I met a deputation of taxi drivers belonging to a different organisation. There are a number of organisations representing taxi drivers so are they all singing from the same hymn sheet? Is that part of the problem? I suggested that we should introduce a system of taxi marshals, as there are in other major countries, especially at some of the more problematic taxi ranks, such as the rank at the top of O'Connell Street and Dawson Street at night, as well as Heuston Station, which operates in a very unsatisfactory manner from the customer perspective. Do the witnesses consider that useful and would the group be prepared to pay a share of the cost of that for the better organisation and running of taxi ranks and benefit of customers and business?