Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister, Deputy Ross, and I speak on an almost daily basis in respect of this and other issues of importance. I want to make it quite clear that the type of criminal behaviour to which Deputy Crowe refers has no place in society and will not be tolerated. An Garda Síochána is very much alive to this issue, but that does not alter the difficulties it is encountering in trying to effectively tackle this form of crime. Taxi drivers operate in isolated areas or at night. They work alone and often carry cash in their vehicles. In that context, there is a certain amount of personal responsibility on taxi drivers to keep themselves safe. It has been suggested that drivers should consider the purchase of dash cams or CCTV systems to monitor the interior and exterior of their vehicles. A number of drivers already use such equipment. The footage from a CCTV system in the interior of the vehicle can help to identify any attackers. If the quality of footage is sufficiently high, it may be used as evidence in a court of law.

As the Deputy may be aware, the National Transport Authority is launching a new taxi driver respect campaign this month. This is a public awareness drive which advocates respect for taxi drivers. The campaign illustrates that taxi drivers can be anybody, including a friend or a family member. As such, they deserve our full respect. The campaign will include print media and bus shelters, as well as information disseminated via other media outlets. I hope this campaign, aligned with the Government's commitment to increase Garda numbers and visibility, will lead to a reduction in the number of assaults and robberies involving taxi drivers in the near future.

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