Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As of June 2018, only ten local area hackney licences were issued nationally. That clearly demonstrates that the approach is not working. Huge swathes of rural Ireland and villages and communities are being left without any public transport whatsoever. The Minister acknowledged that one of the prohibiting factors is the high level of insurance. I am inclined to agree with him on that. Has he spoken to the NTA in relation to this matter?

Has the Minister had meetings specifically about this? Has he met the taxi advisory group about the review of rural hackneys? He has stated that a five-year strategy will be published. When will it be published? Finally, the Minister and his Department have a responsibility to bring the cost of motor insurance down. What progress has he made towards delivering the specific requirements and recommendations for which his Department is responsible? I speak specifically about the introduction of a system whereby the Garda can detect whether cars on the road are insured.

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