Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We need to tease all these aspects out. It is very hard to see a person getting a vehicle for €10,000 and insurance for €6,000, €7,000 or €8,000. We are talking about costs close to €20,000 before the operator turns the key in the ignition. Then he or she will have to roll out the service for €5 per person. In a rural community he or she might do one run in a night, or three runs on some nights.

The point I am trying to make is that we have a system in place already. There are problems with it. There is no point in saying that there are not. The best way forward is for the NTA to sit down with the Local Link managers and the heads of taxi and hackney services and try to come up with a solution. They will certainly do that, because the Local Link providers have worked side-by-side with hackney operators and never displaced them. They have worked with them successfully. We are now going to throw another service, which will not be as regular, into the fray. Will operators have to have their vehicles tested in the same way as the hackney taxis? I presume they will if they are to carry passengers.

A lot of questions need to be addressed. We are not looking at the bigger issue here. Many hackney and taxi service operators tell me they would be quite happy to have their cars running by night but they cannot get employees because of what is involved in getting a licence. Let us say the operator is based in Skibbereen. One of the first questions a candidate will be asked is where the Garda station in Mitchelstown is. In the name of God, that is irrelevant. It is total madness to bring up a question like that. A driver's satnav will take him or her there if needed. If the firm is based in Skibbereen, the driver will not be going to Mitchelstown Garda station very often in his or her career, maybe once every 20 or 25 years. He or she may feel differently because of that kind of questioning.

There are also situations where operators are trying to get their vehicles on the road, but they feel the powers that be are against them doing that. Obviously there must be serious regulation in place because these vehicles are carrying people for payment. However, the authorities seem to want to find a problem, instead of working with operators to find solutions. People complain that hackney and taxi drivers charge too much. They are excessively regulated.

With all this grant aid, perhaps the NTA can sit around the table with the Local Link operators and create a solution. Local voluntary community groups want to help with a solution. This is a major crisis in every town and village. Adding another service just complicates matters. I mean no disrespect, but one service out of 17 was introduced in Cork. That is a drop in the ocean. At least 30 or 40 services are needed to somewhat counteract the crisis caused by Ross's Act.