Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I apologise. When one is in a minority Government one has to cover many committees. In this room we have the solution to the problem facing rural Ireland. When I was growing up back in the 1980s there were two or three hackney drivers in the town. They were only used coming from the railway station. After that they were never used. People drank and drove. There were fewer cars. Coming into the 1990s we all got into using taxis and hackneys. Many people made a very good living. People did not mind paying. People from Boyle would get a bus back and forward to Carrick-on-Shannon. In the last few years it seems that one cannot get a taxi. Many of those guys who were making a good living have retired and nobody is taking over. I am referring to smaller towns of 1,500 to 2,500 people. The taxis are just not there. I went to a party in another town two weeks ago. I had a drink. I did not want to order a taxi because I knew I would be taking the taxi driver away for an hour on a Saturday night. He could make a lot more money around the town. I was conscious of that because there are not enough people covering the area. We have a problem for the few who are going to the pubs at night.

The Chairman summed it up well. The rural transport initiative is filling in the gaps, which is welcome. I know many people are using it to go shopping, to visit hospitals and so on. There are many towns in which there was never a bus and now there is this initiative. People are beginning to use it and to use it online. Deputy Troy mentioned Uber. I was in London and used an UberPool. I really think it could be the solution to that problem in rural areas. We can talk all we want and put whatever funding we want into the issue, but it is a problem. I understand that Mr. Waldron has interests and he is right to protect them. If I was in the same business I would do likewise, but it is an issue that one cannot get a taxi in rural towns. I was absolute fascinated by the UberPool I used in London. Somebody from Boyle could be going to Roscommon and I might be drinking in the Four Provinces. On that app I could get somebody to share a ride with me to Tulsk before he or she goes on to Roscommon. It is a no-brainer for rural Ireland but we have to ensure that the existing licensed taxis and hackneys are not inconvenienced too much. At the moment, however, there is an issue with taxi availability. I do not know what has happened in the last few years; perhaps there is easier money somewhere else. Being out driving at 3 a.m., 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. is a tough job. There are easier things to do.

I was contacted by two publicans who have seen the Minister of State, Deputy Griffin's rural transport initiative. They had a car which was bought with donations from the community. He believes it complements many of these issues. It is a pilot scheme. We need to look at all these initiatives outside the box. We need to look at something different. I have not asked any questions but this is a significant issue.