Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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148. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in the context of the current public consultation on giving a one year licence extension on the ten year rule to taxis with 151 and 152 registrations, if following the consultation taxis that have gone over the ten years in the first weeks of 2025 and are currently inactive, can be relicensed; if he will give a one year extension for all taxis that were licences during the Covid pandemic period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9470/25]

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 I already informed the Deputy in Dáil Question No. 41 of 19/02/2025, the Programme for Government 2025 commits to 'extend the ten-year vehicle limit for taxis registered in 2015, offering another year of service'. In line with this objective, the NTA intends to make a regulation stating that taxis which were first registered in 2015 will be permitted to renew their vehicle for a further one year beyond the current limit of the 10th anniversary of the date of first registration – i.e. they would be permitted to operate the vehicle to the 11th anniversary of the date of first registration, which will arise during 2026.

In recognition of the time related impact of the proposed Regulation, the NTA opened the necessary public consultation period on 18 February, and the consultation remains open until the end of Wednesday March 12th, 2025, with a view to a decision being made by 21 March. A new Regulation will be introduced soon afterwards.