Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

A taxi driver was attacked and suffered serious head and facial injuries in Dublin last Monday night. He was attacked at 12.30 a.m. at Rutland Grove in Crumlin. The passengers took the driver's mobile telephone, a sum of cash and a dashboard camera. According to reports, as he lay injured, the gang members attempted to steal the taxi but failed to start it. They fled the scene on foot and four people were arrested following the attack. This was not a once-off occurrence but part of a spate of attacks on taxi drivers in recent weeks. More must be done to protect taxi drivers.

The latest attack on a taxi driver in Dublin comes just weeks after a video of a racist and violent attack on a taxi driver was shared online. That incident happened at 10 p.m. on Easter Sunday on the Malahide Road in Donnycarney in north Dublin and a man has handed himself into a north Dublin Garda station with regard to the attack. The Immigrant Council of Ireland has interviewed taxi drivers from various ethnic backgrounds and its report on the racist attacks noted that many of them happened while the taxi was in motion, putting the driver and passengers at risk. The number of physical attacks is also increasing. A 73 year old Dublin taxi driver was beaten up and pulled out of his car in Tallaght recently. He was stabbed and his car was later burnt out. Many other attacks go unreported.

Taxi drivers are increasingly frightened of going out to work. Many of them say they will not drive into certain estates in Dublin. I heard that at first hand from taxi drivers. They are being attacked and held at knifepoint. Their equipment is being stolen and there are attempts to rob them. Some taxi drivers have put a camera in the cab. Perhaps the Minister for Justice and Equality could examine ways of supporting the drivers. It is their place of work. I spoke to a taxi driver who told me that on two occasions he has had a syringe put to his throat. He ended up packing in the job, saying that it was not worth his life. That has an impact on his family.

No person should have to work in such a dangerous environment. The recent spate of attacks and violent robberies has led taxi drivers to avoid certain estates, and the ordinary, decent people who are living in these estates will suffer. There are reports of some gangs targeting taxi drivers through apps and based on their age and physical fitness levels. There must be a strong response from An Garda Síochána and the Government before there is a fatality.

Is the Minister aware of the problem? What response will there be to the attacks? Has the Minister spoken to An Garda Síochána about it? Is there a plan to deal with it? It is not just taxi drivers who are affected. There has also been a spate of attacks on drivers of delivery vans. The attackers target people who are vulnerable. Has the Minister talked to the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport about this? Has he looked at how other jurisdictions safeguard taxi or cab drivers? There are different facilities in New York. There is a sign at the back of the taxi cab facing the passenger that states the fare and also that it is an offence not to pay the fare or to attack the driver and that the courts will follow through on it. I am seeking suggestions of what new things we can do in this regard. I realise that the Minister was dealing with another issue under the earlier Topical Issue matter and that it is all about resources. However, we must send a strong message to taxi drivers that we are listening to their concerns and we will respond.

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