Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

What is the thinking behind the amendments? Might it have something to do with the fact that the industry itself has said there is a real problem of illegal taxi drivers? Representatives of the Taxi Alliance of Ireland to whom I have spoken estimate that as many as 5,000 illegal taxi drivers are operating in this jurisdiction. I understand some of these illegal drivers operate by using the vehicles of existing licenceholders. Are these amendments attempting to address this problem? It had been my intention to wait and speak on the section and cite the wider list of regulations. I wonder, however, if these amendments are an attempt to address the issue of illegal taxi drivers. Does the Minister have any views on this? Is this the thinking behind the amendments?

I share Senator Barrett's free market views in this regard and would not wish to be identified with any restriction on entry into the market, particularly when people are looking for jobs. Nevertheless, there must be regulation. The Minister of State himself mentioned the need for balance. If there is a real problem of illegal taxi drivers and if they are in such numbers, they will not be subject to normal taxi driver regulations on knowledge of where they are operating, for example, and all of the issues we talked about on Second Stage.

This takes us back to the view of the Taxi Alliance of Ireland on enforcement. I do not suggest that we should prevent people getting involved in the industry, but what about those who are currently in the industry and those who wish to enter the industry legitimately and conform with the regulations currently in place? It appears to me that the Government, in these amendments and in the section, is attempting to address the problem of illegal taxi drivers.

That is why I asked whether the Minister of State would clarify his reasons for tabling these amendments.