Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We have been around the houses on this one a few times. I understand Senator Barrett's thought process and views on this. Obviously, I do not agree with his opinions on it. I will not accept this specific amendment to section 26. I am not sure if this is the right place to even put it. The proposed amendment seeks to impose an obligation on the NTA to ensure that there is no shortage of licensed services. According to this logic, if 20,000 people were looking for a taxi on a Saturday night in Dublin, there should be 20,000 vehicles. I am not sure this is practical. In fact, I know it is not. It is not appropriate for inclusion in the Bill which provides for qualitative regulation of the small public service vehicle industry with free market entry to persons who meet the required standards.

There are no quantitative controls. I know we have debated this around the houses on a number of occasions. The NTA cannot ensure that there will not be a shortage of services but the operation of market forces should ensure that any instances of either undersupply or oversupply are corrected. The NTA is subject under section 19 of the Bill to a general obligation "to promote the provision and maintenance of quality services by small public service vehicles and their drivers". The NTA is examining the possible introduction of a rural hackney licence as a means of responding to instances where services are not being provided. Indeed, there is market failure in rural Ireland. Where I live in Tipperary, there is market failure. We do not have the required provision of taxis. It is as simple as that. We are trying to address that market failure in this Bill.

I will not be accepting the amendment. The specific area under which it has been moved is probably not the area I would have thought it would have been moved under as the issues being addressed are slightly different. I hope Senators would accept the Dáil amendments in this section because they are quite practical in nature, particularly in respect of unlicensed vehicles.