Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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302. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if there are plans to regulate taxi apps (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11100/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, 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.

Online services/apps, such as Uber, FreeNow and Bolt are considered to be transport service companies which offer the carriage of passengers for reward, and are subject to the same regulations as all SPSVs in Ireland. The rationale for SPSV regulation in Ireland is to ensure that passengers have a safe vehicle for their journey, with appropriate insurance in place, driven by a driver who has been vetted by An Garda Síochána and, in the case of taxis, with a pre-established and verified charging system. While there are many other aspects to the overall regulatory system, these are the foundational elements, focussing on passenger safety and protection.

Apps such as Uber and FreeNow are licensed to operate in Ireland as dispatch operators. An SPSV dispatch operator is an individual or organisation that provides a service for taking bookings for SPSV services that are delivered by someone else, or who provides a service that enables intending passengers to arrange the hire of an SPSV themselves. The NTA grants dispatch operator licences to individuals or companies that meet set criteria. The Authority believes that dispatch operators have an important role to play in providing a first-class service to the travelling public. Dispatch operators play a key role in improving the delivery of door-to-door services to people with disabilities.

Agreements between SPSV drivers and dispatch operators are business decisions that are outside the remit of both my Department and the NTA. Taxi drivers are self-employed individuals and, as such, decide on their own business strategies within the regulatory framework.