Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

Last night's RTE special "Prime Time" programme on the taxi industry highlighted a number of shocking incidents of dangerous practices that would put the public at serious risk by a minority involved on the supply side of the taxi industry. It also highlighted shocking examples of outright corruption, involving, we presume and hope, a small minority of national car test individuals. Those issues must be addressed urgently and I am sure that is already happening in respect of the more blatant issues exposed last night.

I commend Mr. Paul Maguire and RTE's public service broadcast on the matter. However, I express regret that an extremely serious pressing human problem in the industry was not considered at all and I draw the Taoiseach's attention to it. The extreme liberalisation of the taxi industry imposed by the Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrats Government has resulted in thousands of taxi drivers being under desperate economic pressure. Simply put, they cannot make a decent living. As a regular taxi user I know this for a fact. This is not a usual complaint and should not be treated as such. On average many drivers earn close to the national minimum wage, which means they need to work inexorably long hours to make a living for their families and to pay their mortgages and soon. The Goodbody report proved that but then more or less stated that nothing could be done.

Is the Taoiseach aware of the level of distress among the decent majority within the taxi driving workforce? Unfortunately and tragically within the past two years a number of taxi drivers have taken their own lives as a result of this economic pressure and the inability to make a living for their families. The previous Minister for Transport arrogantly dismissed the taxi drivers and fobbed the issue off to the regulator. In some incidents the taxi drivers felt it would be easier to get to the queen of England. Will the Taoiseach ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and his Minister of State as a matter of urgency to deal with the issues of all the abuses by a minority highlighted last night and particularly the wellbeing of the vast majority of those who provide a very important public service?

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