I thank the Minister of State for coming in from the appropriate Department to deal with this issue. It is appreciated. Does the Minister of State want to be a hero in rural Ireland?
Sentiment score: 0.49
Maybe he already is.
Sentiment score: 0.00
To be honest, as his officials have probably already told him, I have been chasing this issue since 2012. The taxi regulations review brought about a new rural hackney licence. I was the Minister of State in that Department and I sponsored this. The application process started in 2013-2014 but very few took it up because it was too rigid in terms of the rules and regulations around it. This year, there were 22 vehicles and 24 licensed drivers. The then Minister, Eamon Ryan, launched a pilot in 2023 in Killala, County Mayo, to provide a subsidy for the fixed costs, which I welcome, and the NTA is looking at the various digital platforms with regard to trying to have bespoke solutions in rural areas for the provision of different transport options. That is all very welcome and the use of technology is important. However, the reality is that Ireland has changed. There is a failure from a market point of view with regard to the provision of services but this goes beyond the market. Given the geographical distribution of people in this country, no market is going to be able to provide a bespoke solution for taxi and hackney services in rural areas. I come from Portroe, which the Minister of State knows. It is a small place on the banks of the River Shannon. It is one of the most beautiful places in the world, although I would say that. Trying to get a taxi there is literally impossible. People who want to go out socialising or to appointments, including to medical appointments, depend on the goodwill of neighbours or family. There is a whole range of other issues, such as shopping. The fact is that we can provide a solution. Recently I met the NTA to discuss this. I understand the driver has to have a PSV licence but we should also have a licence for a vehicle which would be accessible to four or five people in a locality who can collect and deliver people within a radius of, for example, 10 km with set fares. These taxis or hackneys would be subsidised by a small amount by the State, as is proposed by the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. These licences should be available easily enough, working with the local authority. We should not have a scenario whereby if there is a taxi in a locality this rural hackney licence is not provided. I can tell the Minister of State that where I am from there are registered taxi drivers but people cannot get them because they only operate for a few hours. This is their choice and that is fine. We have a failure here. We will never be able to have services in rural areas unless we create a bespoke solution. I have been on this for a decade. It is doable. It has been done in other jurisdictions around the world, where a number of groups come together, such as businesses, community groups and charities, and there is a car which a number of people are licensed to drive. It is bespoke as to where they can pick up and deliver, and they cannot intercept the other taxi market. We have to introduce this because there is a complete failure at present.
Sentiment score: 0.10
I thank the Minister of State and I appreciate his sincerity. He does come from a beautiful part of County Galway. I do not want to be talking about this matter for several more years. I know that there is a system we can put in place that will work. The requirements are specific. We need people to come together who can operate a vehicle that can be subsidised, such as through the €6,000 a year. These people should all have the one licence to be able to operate the vehicle. They should all come from the one community, whether it is Portroe, Newtown, Ballywilliam or the other areas near me that I mentioned. The point is that the process is too cumbersome. Another issue is that people in a locality know about an elderly person or a person with a mobility issue. The local publicans can come together for the two nights a week that they will have a few people there and they will know what they need. They will be able to customise their requirements for the service. A number of businesses can come together, such as the shop, the community group, the publican or charities. I know there is a requirement and a demand for this service but under the current structure no one will ever take it up because it is too cumbersome. I am glad that, hopefully, we will have a new CEO of the NTA and, hopefully, a new vision. One of the biggest issues is this idea that such a service would displace taxis. This cannot be a major consideration because the restrictions on drop-off and pick-up, and the limits on fares, mean the service will only be used in the limited circumstances I referred to. This is one of the main reasons it will not be successful unless it is changed. Taxi and hackney drivers provide a fantastic service but it is a separate service. We need what I have proposed. It is totally possible. We need engagement with the insurance industry to execute it. It is deliverable. I ask the Minister of State to please become a hero for rural Ireland.
Sentiment score: 0.12