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For Written Answer on : 10/11/2020
Question Number(s): 287 Question Reference(s): 35381/20
Department: Transport
Asked by: Seán Haughey T.D.
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QUESTION
To ask the Minister for Transport if he will consider
introducing a package of financial measures for older
taxi drivers wishing to exit the industry in view of
the difficulties they are experiencing due to Covid-19;
if they will be given compensation for transferring
their taxi licences to younger taxi drivers; and if he
will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY
The Government recognises that the trading environment for self-employed individuals
remains difficult. Accordingly the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will continue until 1
April 2021. Self-employed recipients, including SPSV drivers, can earn up to €480 per month
while still receiving the payment. Furthermore, individuals exiting that payment may avail of
the COVID-19 Enterprise Support Grant, a once-off grant of up to €1,000 which can be used
towards the costs associated with reopening a business, including the purchase of cleaning
materials and personal protective equipment.
These measures build on the supports provided since the start of the pandemic. The NTA
took action at the outset of COVID-19 to support the SPSV sector, such as licence
extensions, the waiver of late renewal feels, and facilitating the suspension of SPSV
insurance for those operators who decided to temporarily stop working and suspend their
licence. The NTA has also extended age limits for vehicles that were due to reach them since
March until the end of 2020, and are currently considering extending them further until the
end of 2021.
Furthermore, the Deputy will be aware that the recently published Budget 2021 contained
further measures to aid SPSV operators. My Department will provide funding to the NTA to
enable it to waive standard SPSV licence renewal fees in 2021. A €15 million scrappage
scheme has also been introduced to encourage operators of older vehicles to switch to electric
vehicles.
The transfer of small public service vehicle licences, as suggested by the Deputy, is
prohibited under section 14(1) of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013. There are no plans to adjust
this provision at this time, the rationale being that a licence should indicate a person’s
suitability to carry out a function and should not have, by association, a monetary value or be
tradeable on the open market or redeemable for a value. There is, therefore, no basis for
introducing the type of compensation scheme suggested by the Deputy.
