Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 281: To ask the Minister for Transport his plans to apply the same criteria for operating a taxi or a hackney to vehicles with more than eight seats and to make them accountable to the taxi regulator. [37317/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The licensing of a large public service vehicle, i.e. a public service vehicle having seating passenger accommodation for more than eight persons, exclusive of the driver, is governed by an existing code of regulations made under the Road Traffic Acts. The vehicle licensing regime for large public service vehicles is administered by An Garda Síochána. Under the regulations, applicants for large public service vehicles must satisfy the Gardaí in relation to a range of criteria including the character and previous conduct of the applicant, the safety and roadworthiness of the vehicle and that the use of the vehicle as a public service vehicle is covered by insurance.

The licensing of small public service vehicles, i.e. taxis, hackneys and limousines, is governed by regulations made under the Road Traffic Acts and under the Taxi Regulation Act 2003. The Commission for Taxi Regulation is the licensing authority under that Code. There are no plans to extend the existing remit of the Commission for Taxi Regulation to include large public service vehicles.