Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I too wish the Minister of State well. If this crisis were to end tomorrow, chances are the Government would carry on as always, as the amendment to the motion shows. I represent a large rural constituency that lacks a proper transport system. Taxi services prove particularly important. Whether to make deliveries or provide transport to elderly people to get their pensions, taxi operators so often go above and beyond what is required of them to make up for the lack of rural bus and delivery services. Deputy O'Rourke's motion offers the opportunity to support this sector through the crisis, but it should also be seen as a package of measures that could pave the way for a more successful taxi model in both urban and rural Ireland.

Taxi drivers and operators have proven to be key operators in the fight against increasing rural isolation, a type of isolation that has only got worse for some people. They have transported our nurses and doctors to hospitals throughout this crisis. Now they are struggling in the face of the pandemic, and the motion outlines how this can be addressed. Many taxi drivers and operators have been excluded from the pandemic unemployment payment. They are the same people whose businesses have been decimated because of the lack of pubs and nightclubs, and have seen demand fall off. High insurance costs, the costs of upkeep and a range of other fixed costs, which have been said to run to approximately €11,000 per year, have not gone away. The various restart grants excluded so many, as I have pointed out here on several occasions, and our taxi sector is among those forgotten about. It is time to recognise it for the work it has undertaken in the course of this pandemic. Like our pub sector, we need a tailor-made set of supports that are specific to its needs.

It is also time to say we will introduce a temporary moratorium on the issuing of new licences, so that existing operators will not fall victim to opportunists. The financial challenges faced by taxi operators right now mean the acquisition of new or upgraded vehicles is impossible for many of them. We need, therefore, to use common sense and to extend the nine-year rule by two years, as long as the vehicle in question is safe and roadworthy. What also needs to happen, as is outlined in our motion, is for a meaningful dialogue to take place so that our taxi services will be heard properly and so that the challenges they face will be recognised and addressed. Our taxi sector needs to be listened to so that in the future it can make rural Ireland a more connected place, where rural isolation is no longer a problem and where it is easy to travel, do business or just enjoy the benefits of rural living.

The Government needs to take this opportunity to save the sector from the crisis it faces. The motion outlines how this would best be done, but the Government also needs to grab this opportunity to develop the sector so that it can increase its support for rural communities. We need public transport and we need our taxi drivers. I urge the House to support the motion.

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