Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Deputy Boyd Barrett about amendment No. 5. It would not be a good idea to remove the ability to suspend taxi drivers. I am concerned about demerit points. Local authorities provide very few taxi ranks. The rank at the Gresham Hotel is to be removed. We will impose a system after the accumulation of eight points which could be for people parking illegally or otherwise but we do not have the proper ranks. What will be done in conjunction with local authorities on the provision of taxi ranks not just in Dublin but throughout the country? Demerit points could build up quickly and that is why taxi drivers are worried. Are we going to have flexibility in that regard because local authorities do not have taxi ranks in place?

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