Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

For many years, taxi drivers have felt they have not been listened to, and that they have been the last to be listened to when it comes to transport. Yesterday, they came out to say they will not take that any more. There are 22,000 taxis on the road. There are between 1,000 and 1,500 in my county, County Cork, and the drivers' families rely on them. They face enormous uncertainty and potentially very significant hardship. It is a really worrying time to be in the industry. What the drivers are demanding is not unreasonable. First, they are demanding respect and recognition. They play a crucial role. Their work is often challenging. Taxi drivers have faced abuse and ill-treatment. They are a key link in their communities. They know regular customers and help those with mobility challenges to function. This is true in both urban and rural areas. We all know of taxi drivers who are doing runs for prescriptions and helping customers with messages. They know their customers.

Some have tried to suggest taxis are not public service vehicles. I totally reject that. A taxi is a small public service vehicle; that is what is stated on the licence. Indeed, taxis are very often key enablers of other forms of public transport. I often travel by train to Dublin, and sometimes by bus. How did I get to Kent Station early yesterday morning? I got a taxi. I have often got a taxi from Leinster House to Heuston Station. Taxis still make a significant difference in reducing the number of cars on the road between Cork and Dublin, and on all other such routes.

Taxis are public vehicles and should be treated as such. I am sure the Minister of State is limited in what he can say in his speech but I would appreciate it if he could make it very clear that he too views taxis as public transport vehicles.

There needs to be real engagement. The Taxi Advisory Committee is not fit for purpose. It needs to be reformed. That is clear. I raised this with the previous Minister but there was no progress. I hope that, under the current regime, there will be progress. There needs to be real engagement from now on. The process needs to be representative and give a voice to the owner of a single plate in addition to all others.

Owning a taxi has become more expensive. Fixed costs now add up to over €11,000. Financial assistance is needed.

I wish to raise the issue of insurance. Other Deputies have also raised it. I want to give two examples. In addition to there being high premiums, there is some sharp practice in the insurance firms. One taxi driver sent back a disk over 11 weeks ago but still received two bills for premiums from Liberty Insurance. Some taxi drivers were requested by their insurer to change the date of their direct debit payment but when they did so they ended up paying €20 more.

There is some sharp practice that needs to be tackled, as well as the overall need for the reform of the insurance industry. We are also calling for a temporary two-year extension to the rule that requires taxis to be less than ten years old. If ever there was a time for greater flexibility, it is now.

I have also raised the issue of the adverse situations which older drivers face. Up to 23% of the industry's drivers are over 66 but they are not entitled to the pandemic unemployment payment. There is also a proportion of drivers who are over 70. Some of them were forced back to work early due to the lack of State support. That is a situation in which they would rather not have been.

These issues need to be addressed. Taxi drivers need respect. I hope the Minister of State can address that. They also need support. I welcome the fact that yesterday the Taoiseach acknowledged that some of the schemes are not fit for purpose for taxi drivers. Now we need to see action on that as well as on the regulatory issues.

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