53 Tomás Mac Giolla asked the Minister for the Environment if he will outline, in relation to the issue of 100 new taxi licences in an extended Dublin taximeter area, whether the £10 fee is to be refunded to those who have no hope of success on the basis of the points system.

The Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations, 1991, made in October 1991 provided, inter alia that a fee of £10 is payable in respect of an application for a new public hire vehicle licence and that such fees would not be repaid in the event that an application was not successful. The regulations also clearly set out the criteria to be used by the Garda Commissioner for the assessment of applications made in respect of new public hire vehicle licences.

The Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 1991, made in December 1991, provided by way of clarification, that only one application from any person could be considered by the Garda Commissioner in the context of the granting of a licence. Where multiple applications had been received, refunds of fees paid by applicants, in excess of the fee applying to one application, were therefore made.