Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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44. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to respond and agree to the request by the National Private Hire and Taxi Association for a meeting as soon as possible to discuss ongoing concerns in the taxi industry; to similarly respond positively and promptly to any other meeting similar requests by taxi representative groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17798/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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As you will be aware, the role of the Advisory Committee on Small Public Service Vehicles (SPSVs) under the Taxi Regulation Act 2013 is to advise the Minister in relation to issues relevant to small public service vehicles and their drivers. The views of the taxi industry are well represented on that Committee through Committee members with representative functions and backgrounds and experience in the sector.

The legislation stipulates that membership of the Committee includes at least four persons "representing small public service vehicle and driver interests". The current Committee exceeds that number with both drivers and taxi dispatch operators represented. I would encourage representative bodies of the taxi industry to work through this Committee and to engage with the members of the Committee who have been appointed to represent SPSV vehicle and driver interests.

My predecessor as Minister, Eamon Ryan, met with the Committee in 2024. I am meeting the Committee myself in the near future, as well as other key transport stakeholders, and I look forward to working with the SPSV sector to deliver on commitments in the Programme for Government. I will continue to schedule other meetings over the coming weeks and months.