Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

In addition to the number of wheelchair-accessible taxis, there is a need for a dedicated taxi service. There are a number of such services, such as Vantastic and accompanied community taxi services, which get grants from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform under the equality heading. These services are very anxious to become mainstream and come under the transport brief. Will the Minister look at taking them under the wing of his Department? The people who use these services are severely handicapped and would probably never be able to use an ordinary taxi service but it is very important to them that this service continues. It is not even the extent of the subsidy so much as the fact that they become a mainstream transport service. I would be grateful if the Minister could look at that issue.

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