Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I cannot give clear commitments on the matter now because we must sit down again with taxi representative groups in advance of so doing. As I stated to those groups, I wish to sit down with the Department and the NTA. I discussed the matter with the NTA this week. My Department had similar meetings with the NTA and will do so again next week before we have further discussions with the taxi representative groups. I wish to sit down with those groups. I listened to them identify the real and critical problems facing the industry, which is in real difficulty, as are many other industries, and I am committing to doing whatever we can to help it get through this difficult time. However, I wish to have a chance to talk to the representative associations and go through the possibilities rather than make commitments in the Dáil before my Department and the NTA have sat down to tease out the possible changes.

It is certain and clear that the Government is looking to support taxi drivers through this difficult time, not just in Dublin, but across the country. They are a vital part of our transport infrastructure and they must survive this pandemic period and come out the other side. I am convinced that they will do so and I hope that we will end up with a better service for taxi drivers and their customers.

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