Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 319: To ask the Minister for Transport the number of taxi drivers and their families who have benefited from the taxi hardship payment scheme; the reason no payments have been made to drivers under 50 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37742/05]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The taxi hardship payments scheme was based on the recommendations and parameters set out in the taxi hardship panel report, as approved by Government. The report recommended the establishment of a scheme to provide payments to individual taxi licence holders who fell into one of six categories that the panel assessed as having suffered extreme personal financial hardship arising from taxi liberalisation. The categories in question included two based on age, that is, taxi licence holders aged over 65 with no pension provision and taxi licence holders aged between 50 and 65 with no pension provision. The other categories, that is, widows, widowers or separated persons with or without dependants, wheelchair accessible taxi licence holders, taxi licence holders with certain large loan repayments and disabled taxi licence holders who were unable to work, did not have any age related criteria. Payments have been made to taxi licence holders under 50 years of age under the scheme in these latter categories. In addition, payments have been made to a small number of individuals under 50 years of age with no pension provision where their particular extenuating circumstances were taken into account by ADM.

Area Development Management Limited administered and managed the scheme on behalf of the Department of Transport. All applications under the scheme have been dealt with and the scheme has been closed since 24 September 2004. Hardship payments were made to 1,517 qualifying persons under the scheme.