Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Minister of State on his appointment as this is my first time speaking to him since his appointment.

The plight of taxi drivers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic has been very severe. It is impacting on taxi drivers across the entire country. Clearly, taxi drivers have been forgotten in the response to Covid-19. The Government must step in and establish a taxi Covid-19 response unit in conjunction with the National Transport Authority. These drivers depend on people moving around. They are being squeezed out of business with the closure of pubs, which are only reopening now. We debated this issue for four years in the context of the road traffic Bill, where every effort was made to ensure people used taxis. Now the doors of pubs are shut so people are not getting taxis to go to and from the local pub or wherever. The drivers depend on people moving around but now that people are not doing so in the normal way, business has been enormously affected.

Taxi drivers estimate that up to 20% of self-employed drivers will be out of business within a year. The sector must be supported by Government. This motion comes at a critical time. Additional Government support for the sector is now an urgent necessity. Taxi drivers estimate that their business has dropped by up to 90% overall compared to pre-Covid-19 levels. Mr. Jim Waldron, spokesman for the National Private Hire and Taxi Association, has called for an extension of the age limit of vehicles. This is very important and the Minister of State has to step in here. Some of these vehicles are in meticulous condition but are being taken off the road after ten years.

Unfortunately, many taxi operators across the country have already decided that driving taxis is no longer a viable business. It is important to remember that many taxi operators have substantial debts to service, including mortgages and other loans, together with the many costs associated with raising a family. That applies right across the board, to both hackney and taxi operators. I stood outside with them yesterday during the protest and heard comments from people from my constituency, including Denis Mangan from Kinsale, and from taxi operators who are working tirelessly but are finding it extremely difficult.

I mention also the many taxi drivers who are over 66 years of age who received no pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, and had to stay at home. These are people who have paid their taxes for many years. All the fees for these people over 66 years of age should be abolished as it is very unfair to them at this time.

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