Has the Minister completed his study of the recommendations of what is known as the Hyland Report—that is, the National Prices Commission study of taxi and hackney services——

That is a separate question.

——which review he said——

We must move on to the next question; Question No. 15.

I just want to finish the question. With respect, perhaps the Chair would do me the courtesy of listening to the complete question?

The Chair will not be dictated to when he rules that a question is out of order.

With great respect I just wanted the Chair to listen to the question. I want to ask the Minister if he has finished that review—which surely is non-contentious—and, secondly, if he would say whether or not he will make these taxi licences non-transferable because of the abuses that are taking place?

These are separate questions; they are not relevant; they are not on the Order Paper——

It is relevant to the question—the present position in regard to the issue of new taxi licences.

The Minister may not have the information; they are separate questions. The Deputy will not insist, please.

Question No. 14 asks the present position in regard to the issue of new taxi licences. I am asking the Minister if he is agreeable to getting rid of the transferable nature of the licences.

Those are not new licences.

Which is fundamentally the abuse that is taking place.

A person who transferred a licence within the period of two years prior to application will not be granted a new licence.

Prior to application?

Yes.

If somebody gets a licence for the first time—as the Minister has described—will he be able to transfer it or not, and make money on it as happened in the past? Could the Minister answer that question straight?

The question on the Order Paper in relation to licences is to ask the Minister for the Environment the present position in regard to the issue of new taxi licences. There is nothing else on the Order Paper regarding taxi licences. If we were to allow every question relating to taxi licences we could be here all day. I am not permitting it.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Might I ask the Minister if there are any conditions attached to the issue of new licences, such as the condi-tion that they are non-transferable? That is the information that is sought.

Not that I am aware of.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Would the Minister con-sider attaching a licence condition to new licences providing that they are non-transferable, as very often happens in the case of other licences that are issued?

I shall discuss this with the Taxi Services Council and see if it is feasible to do so.