Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

First, the NTA does not write my speeches. Second, the issue in regard to the failure rate is not only one for rural counties.

Third, one need not drop anyone at any border because Ireland operates as a full taxi-meter country. The issue in that regard is the area where a taxi or hackney driver can ply for hire. From an administration point of view, for the enforcement, especially by the gardaí and enforcement officers, we must have a clearly identifiable way of knowing whether, for example, taxi-drivers from Dublin are operating in these areas and effectively taking the food out of the mouths of those in for example, County Galway - at, say, the Galway races - or in any other location.

There was an issue down through the years where there were many drivers getting licences. I inherited a sector where, as I have stated on many occasions, there were drivers who got licences who simply should not have because the test was not good enough. In fact, the test was very weak. I cannot believe some of the drivers who I travel with passed this test. I do not know how they did so and I suppose at this stage I am not sure whether I will ever find out. How some drivers, particularly operating taxis in Dublin, got past an area knowledge test is beyond me. I wanted to change that and I have ensured that it is changed.

Given what I outlined earlier, any system one creates like this cannot be perfect but there are a number of issues here. For starters, we must have some form of administration unit that works and that is recognisable by the Garda so that there can be fair play where licence holders operate in a certain district, and that is where we know they can ply for hire even though it is a full taxi-meter country.

Second, in regard to the specific test, in certain counties where there are not enough taxis and hackneys, I have instructed the NTA to look at slightly changing the test to make it a little easier, potentially where there is market failure. They are always looking at the test but there are significant administrative issues which I have outlined and we must work closely with the Garda to ensure gardaí are in a position to do its job.

Finally, as Deputy O'Donovan stated, there is an alternative licence put in place. It is a good licence. It is a local area licence which by-passes many of the issues about which we spoke. To date, unfortunately, not one person in the Deputy's county has applied for one. I would welcome if persons would apply for those licences because within the villages in which Deputy O'Donovan and I operate, such licences will be welcome.

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