Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 90: To ask the Minister for Transport the number of wheelchair accessible taxis working in the Dublin area; the expected timetable for the roll-out of more vehicles; and the provisions taxis will have to make for the carrying of children in view of the introduction of new rules regarding the seating of young children in motor vehicles. [29908/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Taxi Regulation Act 2003 established the Commission for Taxi Regulation as the independent body responsible for the development and maintenance of the regulatory framework for the control and operation of small public service vehicles, including taxis, and their drivers. One of the specific objectives given to the Commission in the 2003 Act is to promote access to small public service vehicles by people with disabilities.

The Commission for Taxi Regulation has published a detailed Action Plan 2006-2007, Driving Forward, which sets out a range of changes the Commission proposes to make over the next two years in relation to the control and regulation of taxis, hackneys and limousines and their drivers. Among the specific proposals being developed by the Commission are measures aimed at improving accessibility. I understand that a further consultation process will be undertaken later this year by the Commission in relation to vehicle standards, with a particular emphasis on improving accessibility.

My Department's Sectoral Plan for Accessible Transport under the Disability Act 2006 was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on the 20th of July 2006, as required by the Act. The Plan sets out a programme for action on accessibility in a number of key transport areas, including the taxi and hackney sector. The plan in particular sets out actions for increasing the accessibility, availability and affordability of small public service vehicles for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments. These actions will be progressed by the Commission for Taxi Regulation in consultation with the Department of Transport and disability organisations.

Data in relation to the overall number of taxis licensed to operate and the percentage of that total that are wheelchair accessible taxis would be available from the Commission for Taxi Regulation.

On 5 May 2006 I made Regulations entitled the European Communities (Compulsory Use of Safety Belts and Child Restraint Systems in Motor Vehicles) Regulations 2006 transposing into Irish law Directive 2003/20/EC relating to the compulsory wearing of safety belts and child restraint systems in motor vehicles.

The Directive provides that, in general, children who are less than 150 centimetres in height and 36 kilograms in weight must be restrained by an appropriate child restraint when travelling in cars and goods vehicles. The Directive gives Member States the option to allow children to travel without child restraints in the rear of small public service vehicles if restraints are not available. In allowing for such arrangements, the Directive recognises that child restraint systems come in a number of different weight classes and that it would not be reasonable to expect drivers of these vehicles to always have the appropriate child restraint available in their vehicles. For that reason, in making the Regulations to transpose the Directive into Irish law, the option in the Directive permitting children to travel without child restraints in the rear of small public service vehicles was reluctantly exercised.

Notwithstanding the legal position, it would be my desire that owners of small public service vehicles would endeavour to provide child restraints in so far as it is practicable to do so. To that end, I have written to the Commissioner for Taxi Regulation requesting that he engage with the industry with a view to devising guidelines on best practice in relation to the carrying of children in small public service vehicles.