Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have said previously that rickshaws constitute a novel way of travelling that tourists enjoy. They are another transport option for many people, and the service provides around 1,000 jobs. There are problems with rickshaws but nothing that cannot be solved through regulation. The lack of regulation is the main reason for the problems. I have been calling on the Minister to regulate rickshaws for the past two years. I tabled an amendment in December 2016 to allow for regulation but, until now, the Minister has done absolutely nothing. Two weeks ago he announced that favoured an outright ban on rickshaws. It seems that, after two years of having every option on the table, the option the Minister has favoured the laziest one available rather than the most suitable in terms of policy or law.

The National Transport Authority, NTA, exists as a licensing authority. It regulates taxis, for example. Is the Minister saying that sufficient expertise are not available, between the NTA and his Department, to regulate for something as simple as a rickshaw?

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