Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There is a two-line paragraph in the review and perhaps this is where this has all come from. I have serious concerns because many hackney drivers operate in the rural part of County Donegal where I live. Even though Killybegs has a population of 1,200 or 1,300 about eight or nine hackneys operate there every weekend. I can see the thought behind introducing this system through the rural transport companies, but existing hackney licence holders should be allowed to apply or tender and then it should be administered through the transport companies. This will introduce a third layer of taxis. We have the taxi-plate holders, the hackneys and now these new rural hackneys. There will be major problems with the policing and regulation of it. A person getting this new hackney licence might be restricted to operating within a five-mile radius of a small village in County Donegal. However, nothing will prevent him or her from going to operate in the nearest town. We know there will be no regulation because there are only nine enforcement officers.

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