Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail)

I am very disappointed at the reaction from the Opposition and from various commentators over the weekend to the intervention by the Taoiseach on the public service pay talks. As a former trade union activist, I have always subscribed to the idea of partnership. Where an acceptable deal cannot be agreed, somebody needs to lead. On this occasion the Taoiseach showed the kind of leadership the country was seeking for which the people applaud him. If it had gone the other way and we had come up with a half-baked agreement I am sure the Opposition would tell us that Peter McLoone was running the country. The Opposition looked for leadership and got it. They now know who is running the country and it can only get better from here on in.

Over the weekend I travelled to a function by taxi. I was so impressed by the taxi and its driver that I booked him for a return journey in the morning. His taxi was a spotlessly clean Mercedes and he obviously looked after it with pride. When I complimented him, he told me that unfortunately under a nine-year rule introduced by the Commission for Taxi Regulation he will need to get rid of that taxi at the end of the year and purchase a new vehicle. More than likely he will downgrade the size and quality of his vehicle. He asked me to raise this valid matter here. There should be an appeals procedure for a vehicle that is nine years old. There should be annual vetting of all taxi vehicles. It is possible to have a 2009 vehicle that is filthy and tiny or the kind of vehicle in which I travelled, which is even better than the Leader's vehicle. We should seek an appeals procedure to get fair play for our taxi drivers.