Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

My colleague, Senator O'Sullivan, has already outlined the Fianna Fáil position on the Bill. My party welcomes it in general and in principle apart from some aspects which he has pointed out regarding the transfer of licences, etc. I am sure that the Minister of State will deal with the matter.

I agree with the objective behind the new legislation and regulations. The excellent Bills Digest compiled by the Oireachtas Library & Research Service states:

The objective of the new legislation and regulations is to improve the quality of taxi services and the safety of passengers. Combined these will have a significant impact on the taxi industry. Standards should improve. Individuals with criminal convictions who should not have taxi licences will be prevented from receiving or holding one.

I shall focus on something that Senator O'Sullivan also raised and perhaps the Minister of State has already responded. There is more than anecdotal evidence that people are driving taxis around the city who do not know one street from the other. I have experienced it myself. I am not being discriminatory when I say that it has nearly always been non-nationals who do this. It has got to the point, and I make no apologies for it, that I prefer to go to a local taxi driver rather than somebody who is obviously a non-national. My decision has nothing to do with the colour of his or her skin but is a response to my personal experience of taking taxis from Connolly Station only to discover that the taxi drivers did not know how to get to Merrion Square. I have been in a taxi where the driver had to use the satnav. I have asked long-serving taxi drivers about the matter and they told me that they wonder how the taxi licence authority can determine whether a driver has acquired sufficient knowledge. I know that Senator O'Sullivan referred to the London experience. I remember a famous television programme broadcast a few decades ago which was based on a test called "the knowledge" that all licensed London taxi drivers must pass. It was an extraordinary documentary on the hoops that aspiring taxi drivers in London must go through and I am not sure that such stringent testing is carried out here. The Bills Digest states:

The Garda Síochána issue SPSV Driver licences. To qualify for a SPSV Driver's licence a person must hold an Irish driving licence or a driving licence from another EU, EEA or other recognised state, produce a current tax clearance certificate, and pass the SPSV Entry Test to obtain the SPSV Skills Development Certificate. This test is in two parts: the Area Knowledge Test verifies that the driver has a good knowledge of the county in which they intend to operate; the Industry Knowledge Test verifies that they understand the taxi industry and the SPSV Regulations.

I have a quibble with the first part and I would be grateful if the Minister of State could outline his thinking on the matter. Obviously there is something wrong with the system, and taxi drivers will say the same, when it comes to certain conditions. I understand that existing taxi drivers were not obliged to undergo the test but I am not sure if that is true. It is a real concern. There seems to be a higher proportion of non-nationals operating in the taxi industry than I see in any other industry. Perhaps that is just my perception and it may not be true.

I welcome the branding that has been introduced which went under the radar here. Many of us would love the establishment of a similar test to the London black cabs here. Other countries have introduced a designated colour or model of taxi. The taxi industry has resisted the introduction of a change of colour or model of taxi on the grounds of cost. The Minister of State was right to initiate the branding and I hope that he will go further. The capital city should have a distinctive taxi brand that visitors can relate to. There is no difficulty in recognising a taxi here but from an optics, tourism and image point of view, branding should not be left to one side. He should continue to push out the boat when it comes to branding. I am not sure that he will succeed in getting taxi drivers to agree on a particular type of car model. If he were, then it would have to be introduced over the long term. I am not sure whether discussions had taken place with stakeholders when he reached the conclusion that branding would be the minimum that would be accepted by the taxi industry. Overall my party welcomes the main thrust of the Bill and I look forward to hearing the Minister of State's comments.