Mr. Jim Waldron:

The people of rural Ireland want the same access as urban Ireland to transport services, particularly taxi drivers, which they do not have at present. The one thing that keeps taxi drivers away from rural areas is the money. People need to make a day's pay, they cannot work for nothing. If a subsidy is to be given out, the first people it should go to is taxi drivers. At present, we are restricted to charging a metered fare. We cannot charge any more than what is on the meter. Perhaps if Deputy Ó Cuív wanted to go out for a meal, he might want to pay €10 more than the normal taxi fare and he might think this would be worthwhile. However, a taxi driver cannot charge that amount at present.