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

I will give the Minister the details later but this particular firm is operating in north Dublin. I have some documents in front of me and I will cover up the logo before showing them to Members of the House. Essentially, these documents are price lists which directly compare the cost of their service per kilometre to the cost of a taxi. Taxi drivers have phoned this supposed charity for the disabled and asked for a taxi to bring a relative to a particular destination. They have been told there is no problem, that the car will arrive within five minutes. The firm is charging two thirds of what a normal taxi would charge for the same journey. That firm is getting Government money to do that, which is an unacceptable abuse that must be dealt with urgently. Taxi drivers are saying that if firms such as the one I mentioned are getting a subvention to provide services for the disabled and elderly, legitimately, then taxi drivers should also be given a subvention. One suggestion is that VRT might be refunded for cars that are specially adapted by taxi drivers so that they get some financial assistance for adapting their cars. In that way, the playing field would be more level. Beyond that, I would ask the Minister of State to urgently address the situation whereby supposedly charitable organisations are essentially undercutting those in the taxi industry. That is really not on and I hope the Minister of State will act urgently.

I will be pressing the amendment.

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