Mr. Gerard Macken:

The statistics came from Dublin Airport last June, where there were 3,600-odd taxi drivers for the full month. Given that the DAA has stated there are 1,350 taxis, if each driver had to get a job in a month, how many days would he or she be waiting on one? The current waiting time for a taxi from Dublin Airport, where there are 30 or 40 taxis, is up to three or four hours, to facilitate a service there. There are long waits at Dublin Airport and the taxis are waiting for whatever the reason might be.

Advantage is being taken by Dublin Airport in respect of Covid-19. I have emailed the leaders of each of the political parties - I might have missed one but I think I got them all - about the ongoing discussions with the CEO of the DAA, Mr. Dalton Philips, because we have been totally ignored at Dublin Airport as a representative group. Mr. Phillips does not want to deal with us any more and he has emailed back all the leaders about the matter. I hope we will get political representation to respond to the arrogant way we are being treated at the airport. We will meet the leaders soon and, hopefully, if political persuasion can take place, we can put the case as to how taxis should operate at Dublin Airport. There are no guidelines at Dublin Airport. The taxi holding area has no facilities or instructions relating to Covid-19. There are no hand-washing facilities or soap in any of the toilets. The taxi industry is not being maintained and the canteens have been closed, so there are no facilities. I could go on and on about how we have been treated.

I hope that because all the political parties have been copied on the email, at some stage the DAA might get up and start doing something for the taxi industry. I thank the people who have already contributed to Dublin Airport, in particular the Deputy who has pushed matters forward. While some of the political parties are working, we are falling foul in respect of the matter. The only other statistic we have on the degree to which taxis are working is the former Minister, Shane Ross's, famous last words, to say 98% of taxis are not working-----