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

In all that chatter, there was no clear commitment. The Government cut the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, of many taxi drivers who now have even less work available to them because of the new restrictions and there is no income subsidy for those who are able to return to work. They are caught between a rock and a hard place. They are in a dire situation but there has been no commitment by the Government. Will it commit not to cut their PUP if they must stay off work and that it will give them the income subsidy? Incredibly, licences continue to be issued while the industry is on its knees and there is 70% less work available for the fleet. Taxi drivers have, on average, €11,000 of costs which are clocking up all the time while there is no work available to them. They are not getting grant support in that regard. They have asked for the implementation of a buy-back scheme for drivers who wish to exit the industry but that has not been done. The last two actual taxi driver representatives on the taxi advisory committee left it because it is completely unfit for purpose, does not represent the interests of taxi drivers and does not put forward demands that would protect their livelihoods and industry.

See this speech in context