Deputy Michael Colreavy:

I thank the delegation for their statements today. The Minister has had the good vision to allow consumers have confidence in our taxi system while legitimate drivers make a decent living by operating within the necessary rules and regulations. That is a good vision.

I suppose the problem is one of numbers when one boils it down. Evidence in the form of statistical information shows that there is an over supply of taxis. I am a person who uses taxis a fair bit around Dublin and there is a lot of anecdotal evidence, and taxi drivers will say it, that it is getting hard to make a living here. I am not sure that it is just one problem nationally. There is one problem in the big cities and larger towns but there is a different problem in rural areas like the one that I represent. For example, the TTnH suggested that PAYE workers should not be taxi drivers. If PAYE workers were prevented from being taxi drivers then there would no taxis in rural areas. I do not know, and I am seeking advice, but should we closely examine the taxi versus hackney concept? Should there be a different set of rule for a taxi vis-à-vis hackney? There are two problems, one in the cities and another in rural areas, and they cannot be solved by the one solution.

The TTnH delegation made very good points and their suggestions would lead to better legislation if they were adopted by the Government. I thank the TTnH for its presentation. I would like to hear its observations. Are we looking at two problems? Is it just one problem? Perhaps the solution could be slightly tailored to suit both.