Mr. Hugh Creegan:

I cannot speak about what the Minister was aware of. We were dealing directly with the taxi advisory committee. We brought a proposal to it and it has been under discussion for a considerable number of months. We have now got it to the stage at which we are proposing what we have here.

Deputy Collins mentioned a number of matters. Let me explain how the local area hackney service is intended to work. It is intended to be regulation-light. A large seven or eight-seater vehicle is not required, nor is a wheelchair-accessible vehicle. One is not required to pass the standard driver test that all other taxi and hackney drivers must pass. It is intended to fill a gap where it is uncommercial to provide a normal service. The key rule is that the vehicle must be under ten years of age and have an NCT certificate. Everything else is relatively light around that.

With regard to discussing how the service should operate with taxis and hackneys, a taxi advisory committee has been put in place under legislation. It includes representatives from the taxi groups and hackney groups across Ireland. Members will have heard from some of them this morning. We tease out with the groups the appropriate measure to put in place. The Deputy is correct that one local area hackney in Cork is a bit of a drop in the ocean for Cork, but it is only a pilot scheme. The intention is that if it functions properly and we sort out any kinks that arise — inevitably, there will be kinks — it can be put in place in the other areas that genuinely need the service. I believe I have addressed the Deputy's key points.