Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 366: To ask the Minister for Transport his plans to ensure that people with a disability have equal access to public transport and taxis in view of the decision in the supplementary budget on 7 April 2009 to cut a programme to improve accessibility for disabled persons to public transport by €5 million; his position on the commitment in the programme for Government 2007 to have 100% wheelchair accessible taxis in all cities by 2010 in view of the fact that wheelchair accessible taxis as a percentage of the overall taxi fleet have dropped from 21% in 2000 to 5% in 2008; his views on whether a commitment to an accessible taxi fleet is imperative to ensure people with a disability can fully participate in society; if he will grant priority to this matter in view of the fact that 26% of accessible taxis are ten years or older; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15748/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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Policy regarding public transport accessibility is set out in 'Transport Access for All', my Department's Sectoral Plan under the Disability Act, 2005. Measures to implement the Plan are already well advanced. Since the year 2000, all major refurbishment projects at bus and rail stations, together with the construction of new stations and the purchase of trains or buses take account of the needs of people with mobility and sensory impairments.

Significant resources for accessibility are being provided under Transport 21 to facilitate further progress. Accessibility is being built into new public transport infrastructure projects and funding is also being provided to continue the phased retrofit of existing infrastructure. While the 2009 allocation for public transport accessibility improvement projects has been reduced from €25m to €20m, the revised allocation represents a 43% increase on the 2008 allocation and provides ample scope for accessibility improvement projects planned for 2009.

In addition, funding of €11 million, an increase of 10% on the 2008 provision, is being provided by my Department in 2009 for the Rural Transport Programme (RTP) which also provides services to people with disabilities. In relation to wheelchair accessible taxis, the percentage of the whole taxi fleet that was wheelchair accessible in 2008 was 7.5%. While this is a reduction from the percentage of the fleet that was wheelchair accessible pre-liberalisation, the number of wheelchair accessible taxis has actually increased, though not at the same rate as the overall expansion of the fleet. There were 1,600 licensed wheelchair accessible taxis in 2008 - up from 1,246 in 2005. The Commission for Taxi Regulation has submitted proposals for a subsidy scheme to assist in the purchase of wheelchair accessible taxis and the issue is under consideration in my Department having regard to the commitment in the Programme for Government and in the context of the overall budgetary situation. In the context of the public consultation which the Commission has launched on the basis of the economic review of the taxi sector, it has sought submissions from the public and the taxi industry on the key recommendations of the review, including in relation to measures to secure greater provision of taxi services for people with disabilities and it is undertaking further analysis in this regard.

My Department is currently reviewing the policy in relation to religious and volunteer workers and when that process is completed the terms and conditions governing this category of temporary migration will be set out clearly for the benefit of all parties.