Results 3,541-3,560 of 6,541 for speaker:Ruairí Ó Murchú

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Impacting the Taxi Industry: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: We will all try not to rehash statements about the importance of taxi drivers. That is accepted. They are necessary from the point of view of education, hospitals, work and trips, as we heard. We all know what work taxi drivers have done over many years and the issues that arose with supports, in particular during the Covid period. Some of the issues mentioned are long running and still...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Impacting the Taxi Industry: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: That is the other problem.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Impacting the Taxi Industry: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: They are looking to switch to electric vehicles, which everyone wants to do, but cannot do so because there is not enough supply.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Impacting the Taxi Industry: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Yes, they cannot get those either.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Impacting the Taxi Industry: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: The three-year rule is a problem, but if someone has bought a second-hand car, a significant amount of money will have been put into it, which means taxi drivers have committed for a number of years anyway. Leeway is needed. At the end of the day, we are talking about cars that are going to be checked and rechecked in any event.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Impacting the Taxi Industry: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: He did.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Impacting the Taxi Industry: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Mr. McGuinness refers to the supply chain issue for new and even second-hand cars, the cost-of-living scenario and all the rest of it, as well as the fact that even people who have applied for grants are waiting. We are talking about a five-year extension.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Impacting the Taxi Industry: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: That is a fair ask. Anybody listening in would think that sounds reasonable.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Impacting the Taxi Industry: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: There is a precedent.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Impacting the Taxi Industry: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: The cost of an EV is also substantial.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Impacting the Taxi Industry: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Some means of bridging the gap is necessary. That makes sense, leaving out the supply chain issue. Let us accept the extension of the ten-year rule by an extra five years. In fairness, the three-year rule is a bit mad if someone is doing what he or she has been forced to do. The question is whether we can bridge that gap. Outside of that, is the grant scheme fit for purpose? As Mr...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Impacting the Taxi Industry: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: It is second-hand so there is a three-year rule.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Impacting the Taxi Industry: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: That does not make any sense to anybody listening.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Impacting the Taxi Industry: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: People are catching themselves on every rule.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Impacting the Taxi Industry: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Impacting the Taxi Industry: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I think it is fair to say that the scheme is not fit for purpose. The witnesses have detailed it so we can put that to-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Impacting the Taxi Industry: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: It needs to be changed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Impacting the Taxi Industry: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: It would make sense to talk to the people who would actually be using it and who they actually want to sell it to.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Impacting the Taxi Industry: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: We might go straight into the safety and security issue, particularly on the basis of the number of taxi drivers about whom the witnesses told me anecdotally will not work at night. I am not always sure what the solutions are here but the witnesses might lay out the particular issues. Coming as I do from Dundalk, an issue that has been brought to my attention is where guys with northern...