Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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62. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the engagements his Department has had with the National Transport Authority on the issue of illegal taxi operators over the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20818/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including enforcement and compliance in the SPSV sector, is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016. I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of the SPSV industry.

Any communications received by me or my Department regarding illegal operators in the industry are sent to the NTA for investigation by the NTA's enforcement team. In addition to that team, all members of An Garda Síochána are empowered to investigate offences under SPSV legislation.

When information relating to the operation of an unlicensed SPSV service, is received by the NTA, it is assessed and acted upon wherever possible by NTA compliance officers, or members of An Garda Síochána. For a successful prosecution to be obtained, there must be evidence that the individual is operating for ‘hire or reward’, therefore, evidence of payment must be presented to the court.

In 2022, the NTA initiated 54 prosecutions against individuals operating an entirely unlicensed SPSV service, i.e., a service without either a SPSV Driver Licence or a vehicle licence. Those prosecutions were in addition to prosecutions taken against persons operating on expired SPSV licences.