Mr. David McGuinness:

They could be pushed out of the industry. “Don’t Worry” is not the solution. That is what we saw from the NTA during the pandemic, which said it would be okay. It is always last-minute decisions. Apart from other factors as to why people will not come into the industry, they know that when they come into it, they will be facing the bureaucracy of the NTA in every department of the taxi sector. Getting back to the point raised by Mr. Maguire about the delays to the giving of suitability clearances for those cars, the drivers have been given a €25,000 grant by the NTA to get these cars on the road. Drivers are still waiting for the suitability clearance, even though they have gone through all of the processes. They should be licensed straight away and they should not have to go for an SGS test as they have already been given a substantial grant. The driver should be able to turn up, be given the door sticker, where his or her meter is fine, and away they go.