Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I am taking seven minutes and my colleague is taking three. The Government has ignored all of these issues and the sword of Damocles now hangs over taxi drivers because of the plan to cut the pandemic unemployment payment tomorrow. That will also affect other workers. I have just come from a demonstration of events workers. Some 22,000 taxi drivers and their families and 35,000 events workers, musicians, crew and so on will feel the axe fall upon them. Their incomes are going to be slashed on top of their already devastated livelihoods. They are left between the devil and the deep blue sea. They must decide whether to stay on a reduced payment which will plunge them into poverty or return to work where only 20% or 30% of their usual work is available and be plunged into poverty in that way, while losing access to the payment. What part of "income subsidy" does the Government not understand?

The Government does understand the concept for big business. Billions of euro have been thrown, in double quick time, at big, often profitable corporations with much larger capacities to absorb the costs accumulated during the pandemic because they have big cash reserves. Those sorts of companies get billions of euro but the taxi drivers, events, arts and music people, who have no shock absorbers or buffers, so to speak, get nothing. It is not good enough and I know, because I have been working closely with them, that the taxi groups will be back. This Government must respond to their just and fair demands and show them some respect for what they do.

The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, must learn that taxi drivers are an integral part of the public transport system; he does not seem to understand that. Taxi drivers take us home to our doors late at night. They offer the only door-to-door transport service that exists. They take people from airports, kids to school and disabled and elderly people to places where buses cannot. They work unsociable hours for very little. All they are asking is for a helping hand and some measures that would not cost the Government anything in order to help them through this time and show them a bit of respect. That is what we are asking. We do not need more sympathy or this frankly insulting Government amendment which should be withdrawn because it does not address their concerns. They will be back outside Leinster House, surrounding these buildings, in the next short while if the Government does not show them some respect, give them some support and withdraw the threat of cutting their incomes tomorrow because it will plunge them further onto their knees.

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