John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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145. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the official procedure for retired taxi drivers wishing to sell their taxi plates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5339/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including SPSV licensing, is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Consolidated Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016. I have no role in the day-to-day operations of the SPSV sector.

As the Deputy may be aware, the transfer of licences for SPSVs is, at present, prohibited under section 14(1) of the Taxi Regulation Act, 2013. All SPSV vehicle licences are unique to the person to whom the licence has been issued and cannot be transferred or sold to another person. The current licensing regime is built on the principle that a licence should have no monetary value or be traded on the open market and should simply indicate a person’s suitability to carry out the role of taxi operator, as decided by the Revenue Commissioners, An Garda Síochána and the NTA.

In 2022, the Advisory Committee on SPSVs indicated that it is not in favour of reverting to a legal situation which allows for the transferability of SPSV licences. My Department considered the Committee's Report and accepted the Committee's advice that the transferability of SPSV licences should not be allowed, as is currently the position.