John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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232. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the process by which the taxi regulator introduces new regulations; if stakeholder engagement is carried out before new regulations are introduced; if proposed new regulations have to be signed off by him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24451/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Section 3 of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013 sets out the statutory process for the making of regulations under the Act. Where regulations are being proposed to be made by the National Transport Authority (NTA), there is a requirement that stakeholder engagement in the form of a public consultation should take place as part of the process. Regulations being made by the NTA under section 20 of the Act, which includes the proposed regulations to make cashless payment facilities mandatory in all taxis, are covered by these requirements.

The provisions of section 3 also cover any order made by the NTA under section 24 of the Act in regard to Maximum Fares. However, in addition to the required stakeholder engagement in the form of public consultation, section 24 also requires the NTA to consult on the draft order with the Advisory Committee on Small Public Service Vehicles and the Legal Metrology Service.

Once the current consultation processes have concluded, separate reports on the results of each will be brought before the NTA Board for consideration. As soon as the Board has fully considered and approved the proposals, the Maximum Fares Order and the Small Public Service Vehicle (Cashless Payment Facility) Regulations will be signed by the Chairman before being laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas for a period of 21 days, in accordance with section 3 of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013.

The Minister for Transport has no role in the making of these regulations.