Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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828. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if taxi drivers can avail of an insurance break or holiday or a rebate for the Covid-19 period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7966/20]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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852. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to not require taxi drivers who cancel their PSV car insurance during the Covid-19 crisis to have to put their cars through suitability and NCT tests or have to send back their plates to the NTA while their insurance is suspended in order that they can quickly return to work when the industry recovers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8277/20]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 828 and 852 together.

I understand the very difficult business environment that small public service vehicle (SPSV) operators are now dealing with. Indeed, across Government we are acutely aware that the COVID-19 situation presents huge challenges for very many business sectors.

That is why we have worked to introduce a wide programme of Government supports for impacted businesses. The range of supports available includes new schemes of wage subsidies, rates waivers, re-start grants, lending facilities, equity injection, and business advisory supports for example. I also note that self-employed owner-operators of SPSVs may avail of the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment of €350 a week.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) has also taken action to reduce the immediate financial burden on SPSV operators and to make it easier for them to return to the industry when circumstances change. It has engaged with the insurance industry to facilitate a suspension of SPSV insurance for those operators who decide to temporarily stop working and suspend their licences. Operators who avail of this facility will be able to either reduce their monthly premium or receive a refund from their insurer, depending on their individual arrangements with their insurer.

To avail of this insurance reduction, SPSV operators must temporarily suspend their SPSV licences. The suspension of a licence requires the removal and return of a vehicle’s tamper-proof discs to the NTA in accordance with section 17 of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013.

The NTA is keen to facilitate the swift return to work of any SPSV operator who wishes to reactivate their licence following a temporary suspension. I am informed that the NTA has a team available nationwide to reapply tamper-proof discs free of charge, that the process takes only minutes, and that a suitability inspection will not be required to apply duplicate tamper-proof discs to an SPSV.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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829. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if taxi drivers can avail of a break or holiday or rebate on motor tax costs for the Covid-19 period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7967/20]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The legislation which sets out the circumstances for refunds of motor tax provides for a refund of motor tax only in certain limited circumstances, where:

- a vehicle has been scrapped or destroyed;

- a vehicle has been permanently exported;

- a vehicle has been stolen and has not been recovered by the owner;

- a vehicle in respect of which a tax disc has been taken out has not been used in a public place at any time since the issue of the disc;

- the owner of a vehicle has ceased, because of illness, injury or other physical disability, to use the vehicle;

- the owner of a vehicle has ceased, because of absence from the State for business or educational purposes, to use the vehicle; or

- the owner of a vehicle has ceased, because of service overseas with the Defence Forces, to use the vehicle.

There are no plans currently to amend the legislation to extend the grounds for the granting of a refund.

It should also be noted that no refund is payable where the annual rate of motor tax is €119 or less i.e., a concessionary rate of motor tax. The current rate of tax applicable to taxis and hackneys is €95 per annum.

The Deputy should note, however, that there is a facility in place to declare a vehicle off the road if a vehicle is not going to be in use. The Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act 2013, as amended, provides for a system of declaring vehicles off the road in advance for motor tax purposes. The declaration must be made in the last month of an existing motor tax disc or renewed in the last month of a previously made declaration of non-use. The declaration can be made online or in a motor tax office using the following form:

.

The declaration can be made for any number of calendar months between 3 and 12 months i.e., it cannot be made for a period of 1 or 2 months. If a vehicle is subsequently required to be put back on the road, the declaration can be broken at any time simply by taxing the vehicle.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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830. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if specific financial supports are available for taxi drivers to adapt their vehicles to meet Covid-19 public health advice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7968/20]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I understand the very difficult business environment that small public service vehicle (SPSV) operators are now dealing with. Indeed, across Government we are acutely aware that the COVID-19 situation presents huge challenges for very many business sectors.

That is why we have worked to introduce a wide programme of Government supports for impacted businesses. The range of supports available includes new schemes of wage subsidies, rates waivers, re-start grants, lending facilities, equity injection, and business advisory supports for example.

The National Transport Authority (NTA), as the statutory regulator for the SPSV sector, has published information and guidance for the SPSV industry about reducing the spread of COVID-19.

The NTA has also taken a number of actions to reduce the immediate financial burden on SPSV operators and to make it easier for them to return to the industry when circumstances change.

The NTA has extended licences expiring before 12 June 2020 by three months, waived late licence renewal fees, and temporarily relaxed rules around vehicle age limits. It has engaged with the insurance industry to facilitate a suspension of SPSV insurance for those operators who decide to temporarily stop working and suspend their licences. Arrangements are in place to facilitate the swift re-activation of the suspended licence when such an SPSV operator wishes to return to work.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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831. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a taxi driver will need an engineer's report to verify works if they adapt their vehicle to meet Covid-19 public health advice; and if so, the person or body that will cover the cost for the report. [7969/20]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including vehicle standards for SPSVs, is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013.

Given the role of the NTA as regulator, I have referred your question to the Authority for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.