Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 115: To ask the Minister for Transport the level of accessibility of wheelchair accessible taxis in Dublin; the measures he will take to improve such availability; and the reason the Government has failed to live up to the commitment that was made by the Government at the moment of liberalisation of the Dublin taxi market that by the end of 2003 all taxis in the capital would be wheelchair accessible. [12714/07]

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 475: To ask the Minister for Transport the percentage and the amount of wheelchair accessible taxis which were operating in 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005; and the reason deregulation of the taxi service was not made contingent on accessibility in taxis and other public service vehicles. [12495/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 115 and 475 together.

In line with its commitments in the Programme for Government, the Government approved the establishment of an Office of the National Taxi Regulator in November 2002 which led to the enactment of the Taxi Regulation Act 2003 and the establishment of the independent Commission for Taxi Regulation. The objectives of the Commission include to promote the development of high quality cost effective services by small public service vehicles and their drivers which meet a wide range of customer needs including those of passengers with mobility or sensory impairments, and to promote access to small public service vehicles by persons with disabilities.

Since 26 September 2005, the independent Commission for Taxi Regulation has been responsible for the development and maintenance of the regulatory framework for the control and operation of taxis, hackneys and limousines, including the licensing of such vehicles under the Taxi Regulation Act 2003, as amended. The Commission for Taxi Regulation is reviewing the current wheelchair accessible taxi specification in the context of a consultation process on vehicle standards generally which took place recently. An outline proposal from the Commission for a draft subsidy scheme to assist with the purchase of wheelchair accessible taxis and hackneys is also being examined in my Department.

The following table indicates the available data on the numbers of licensed wheelchair accessible taxis and their percentage of the total taxi fleet.

I understand there are currently 1,341 wheelchair accessible taxis available.