Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 499: To ask the Minister for Transport the proposals he has to respond to the concerns of the taxi industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11057/09]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 504: To ask the Minister for Transport if he has assessed the Goodbody report on the supply and demand for taxis; his views on whether measures need to be taken to address the balance of supply and demand for taxi services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11224/09]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 505: To ask the Minister for Transport the maximum hours which taxi drivers can work and the breaks and rest periods required; and if his attention has been drawn to the excessive hours being worked just to earn sufficient income. [11225/09]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 511: To ask the Minister for Transport his views on the recent assessment of the taxi business (details supplied) on behalf of the taxi regulator; if initiatives are necessary to provide a stable basis for developing the sector through this difficult recession; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11710/09]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 514: To ask the Minister for Transport his views on imposing a cap on the number of taxi licences here. [12108/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 499, 504, 505, 511 and 514 together.

The economic review of the small public service vehicle sector published recently by the Commission for Taxi Regulation demonstrates that there has been a 25% increase since 2005, to approximately 100 million trips per year, in the demand for taxi services but also that taxi drivers are operating in a more competitive market than ever as a result of the increased supply of vehicles, that drivers are working longer hours than in 2005 and that average earnings have dropped slightly despite an 8% increase on maximum fares in 2008.

The Commission for Taxi Regulation will now be consulting widely with the sector and the public at large on the economic review. The Commission will also be seeking the views of the Taxi Advisory Council before any final determinations are made by it. I will consider the outcome of this process together with the views of the taxi industry, consumers and consumer interest groups.

It should be noted in relation to working hours, that S.I. No 191/1963 Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Regulation 1963 as amended, requires that a licence-holder shall not drive a public service vehicle for more than eleven hours in any one day in any period of three consecutive days.