49 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the membership and terms of reference of the taxi hardship panel; if his attention has been drawn to claims that the number of complaints regarding taxi drivers in Dublin has more than doubled since deregulation; the steps he is taking to ensure acceptable standards in the taxi service in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6953/02]

128 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will give details of the membership of the panel to evaluate applications from taxi drivers for compensation; the terms of reference within which they will operate; and the financial limits which have been given to them formally or informally for a compensation scheme. [7257/02]

133 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the procedures which are to be put in place for taxi drivers to put their case to the panel of three independent persons under the taxi hardship panel; the manner in which cases are to be presented and evaluated; the moneys allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7311/02]

134 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the terms of reference of the taxi hardship panel; the membership of the panel and their knowledge of the taxi industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7312/02]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 49, 128, 133 and 134 together.

I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 293 and 300 of 26 February 2002. The Government has appointed three independent persons, Mr. Kevin Bonner, Mr. Bill Attley and Ms Ann Riordan to form a taxi hardship panel. The panel has been asked to report in general terms on the nature and extent of extreme personal financial hardship experienced by individual taxi licence holders arising from loss of income as a direct result of the liberalisation of the taxi licensing regime on 21 November 2000, including an estimate of the numbers of individual licence holders involved, the likely financial implications and the recommended criteria for assessment of extreme personal financial hardship under any subsequent proposed response by Government. The report of the findings of the panel will then be presented to Government.