Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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169. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will extend the temporary moratorium for taxi drivers from 10 to 15 years; if the Taxi Advisory Committee will be replaced with a forum that would allow the drivers to bring their issues directly to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23685/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I'd like to take this opportunity to clarify that the Advisory Committee on SPSVs is not a lobby group and I believe that the calls from some to replace the Committee stem from that misunderstanding. The agenda of this forum is not dictated solely by driver representatives, or any other group. Meetings of the Advisory Committee do not replace the normal interactions that occur between taxi driver representative groups and the industry’s statutory regulator, the NTA. As Minister for Transport, I will continue to meet from time to time with taxi driver representative groups as I would meet with any lobby group or interest group.

The Advisory Committee on SPSVs, sometimes refered to as the Taxi Advisory Committee, was established under the Taxi Regulation Act 2013 to provide both the Minister and the NTA with advice in relation to small public service vehicles and their drivers. Drivers are an important part of the Committee, however it also features representatives of disabled passengers and older passengers, and members from the tourist industry, local government and from An Garda Síochána. The Committee's gender balance, and balance between urban and rural representation is also considered in making appointments to it. This broad and diverse representation is one of the strengths of the Committee.

In relation to age limits for taxis and hackneys, these are a matter for the NTA as statutory regulator. Age limits for vehicles have been extended twice by the NTA since the start of the pandemic and I understand that the NTA are considering a third extension, a proposal currently out for public consultation. I support this proposal, which would ensure no SPSV reaches its age limit during 2021.