Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Deputy Boyd Barrett on this issue. Taxi drivers in Cork are telling me how hard they and the industry are finding this situation. They cannot cope. They need more supports from the Government. On the replacement of cars after ten years, there was an extension to that rule for the year, but it must be extended again. How can taxi drivers replace cars which are ten years old right now? The Minister made the point that some 200 taxi drivers have availed of the grant. If there are 20,000 taxis and 200 grants have been taken up, that is 1% of the total. The Minister is here saying how great the Government's actions are for taxi drivers, but what I am hearing from taxi drivers in Cork is that they are struggling and are finding this situation hard. Hospitality and taxis were the first sectors to close and they will probably be the last to reopen.

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