Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The argument they have asked me to put is that the system through which one could lose one’s licence or have it suspended for a three-month period following the accumulation of eight demerits is potentially problematic for legitimate full-time taxi drivers. For example, the lack of rank space, of which the Minister of State is well aware, means that sometimes taxis have to queue up at the end of ranks and are not quite in the rank but there is nowhere else to go and that could potentially lead to demerits against them. Other relatively small issues could result in demerits for taxi drivers who are trying to do their job in good faith and drivers could find themselves suspended and have great difficulty in getting their licence back.

Taxi drivers also expressed concern about car insurance during the period when their PSV licence is suspended for three months. The amendment seeks to delete a reference to the potential sanction of the suspension of a licence for taxi drivers whether a licence holder has been convicted of an offence relating to the contravention. It seems problematic if they have not been convicted. If they have, it is one thing, but it is a problem in the event of no conviction being made. That seems to suggest punitive action could be taken against taxi drivers for potentially trivial offences that could endanger their ability to make a living and sustain their job. I would welcome a comment from the Minister on that but I am inclined to press the amendments.

See this speech in context