Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

I have bad news for the Acting Chairman. I saw him getting the official advice and they are both wrong because it is relevant. It is relevant in the sense that we are introducing into the House a Bill the consequences of which we will observe only at a later stage. There is no other time to introduce this issue apart from now. I am sticking it into the public record in the way it needs to be stuck into the public record. I will continue to raise it on every piece of legislation introduced in this House as long as legislation is brought into this House by Ministers. If Ministers do not have the courage to bring them into the House and stand over what they introduce by legislation, we will deal with that also. The Acting Chairman is a very nice person of whom I am very fond and I am sure he did not mean what he said. I meant what I said but I will return now to dealing with the legislation before us.

We have an opportunity in this Bill to change structures and operational procedures in the transport system which have been crying out for attention for years. We hope that will be done and that the choices we are told will be made available to consumers will transpire. I also hope that in the event that developments do not happen as we wish and expect, Ministers will have the courage to come back to the House to amend the legislation as and when necessary rather than merely wringing their hands and inquiring of themselves and each other as to what should be done next.

The taxi regulation system has been a source of great irritation to those providing taxi services in the last five or six years. I hope the proposals before us will address the sources of that aggravation. One of the issues regularly brought to our attention is the fact that we live in a different climate to that which pertained some years ago. The situation has changed dramatically in the taxi industry, with many of those involved in the business finding they are no longer in a position to meet the financial commitments they entered into in the recent past. There must be an acknowledgement that the system which was put in place several years ago simply did not work. We cannot sit on our hands, complain and fret while consumers and service providers suffer. We must ensure that the Department and this House is responsive on these issues. I am a strong advocate for competition, but that competition must be even handed. It is important to ensure in so far as is possible, whether in the public or private sector, that competitors are operating from the same base, that is, that none has an advantage over the others. It is very easy to facilitate uneven competition but such a situation will be short lived because anything that is not economically viable cannot last.

Another important issue in the regulation of public transport services is the degree to which efforts are made to ensure that those applying for licences under the new legislation are in a position to provide the quality and standard of service as laid down. Where applicants are not capable of meeting the detailed specifications, they should be given an opportunity to bring their proposals and services up to a sufficiently high standard in order to provide the type and quality of service that is required. This whole area has generated a great deal of inquiry and debate in the House in recent years simply because the requirements were brought to everybody's attention.

The purpose of this exercise in the first instance is to provide the public with a service that is fast, efficient and reliable and which meets health and safety requirements and standards. In addition, those involved in the provision of the service should be adequately remunerated and have adequate tenure in terms of their entitlement to contracts, employment and so on. However, we must avoid procedures, structures or restrictions which in themselves impose an additional penalty either on the customer or the State as may be the case. It is extremely important, in the particularly slimmed down circumstances in which we are now operating, that there is adequate openness and transparency in terms of how the regime is overseen by the Department and implemented by the transport authority. It must be done in such a way that the customer can readily obtain a high-quality service and a degree of satisfaction in terms of the extent to which his or her requirements are met.

I do not know whether the Minister fully appreciates the importance of the rural transport service, which was referred to by various speakers. It is easy for those living in towns and cities, where they can walk to the nearest shop, post office, hotel, convenience store, shopping centre and so on, to dismiss the importance of a public transport service to rural dwellers. In view of the general tendency to scale down operations and support services in rural areas, it is high time that recognition be given to the fact that many people still live in rural areas, despite the best efforts of local authorities to isolate them and make it difficult for them to remain. Existing rural transport services, such as they are, are of great importance to rural communities and must be the given the necessary support to allow them to continue. To do anything other than that would be a great disservice to rural dwellers. While it is politically correct - for want of a better expression - to ignore the needs of rural communities, the reality is that people living in rural areas have the same rights and entitlements as their urban counterparts. Just because they do not have public street lighting, footpaths, a daily commuter bus service and many of the other services people take for granted in more urbanised settings does not mean they are not entitled to them. That should be borne in mind in more ways than one.

I welcome this legislation. Like many Bills before it and many yet to come, we cannot be sure of the extent of its impact until we see it in operation. When and if it does not operate to the degree of effectiveness we expect, I hope the Minister or his successor, whoever that may be, will see fit to change it. In general, given the authority that this House hands over to various bodies, groups, agencies and commissions, I also hope Ministers will have the courage, conviction and commitment to come into the House and answer questions relative to the legislation they have passed for a particular purpose. They should not insult us by saying they have no function in these matters or no official responsibility to the House in respect of them.

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