Will the Taoiseach tell the House why the Minister for Transport has suppressed the report of the taxi hardship panel? Two years ago the taxi licensing system was deregulated. Following that, it was admitted that there were a number of hard cases in the immediate transfer. Unfortunately, some people had purchased plates immediately prior to deregulation, others were relying on the sale of the plate for their pensions and widows of taxi drivers were left stranded. All of this happened because of the manner in which Fianna Fáil had led taxi drivers up the hill and then down again.

Deputy Callely fought their case and brought them to Government Buildings. The Taoiseach set up a forum, put his arm around the taxi leaders and told them it would be all right on the night. A judge made a ruling and the Progressive Democrats saw an opportunity to claim the decision as its own. A taxi hardship panel was then established to bring Fianna Fáil over the election period. The Minister told the House on 16 October that he had received the report and would announce his decision in due course. Nothing has happened since. Women connected with some of the most seriously affected drivers went to Brussels last week to make their case.

What is in the report of the taxi hardship panel? Why can the House not be made aware of what is in it? When will the scheme and its terms be announced? Those involved had relied on having compensation before Christmas, but more than two years have now elapsed. The Minister must have found the report to be uncongenial and is not making it public. Judging from the mirth running along the depleted Cabinet Benches it has been discussed at Cabinet. The rest of us should be told what it includes and maybe then we can share in the fun. Many taxi drivers and their families do not find it funny.

We do not think it is funny, we think Deputy Rabbitte is funny.

Many people do not think the Minister is funny.

Deputy Rabbitte has outlined what has happened over the past two years. There were 3,000 taxi licences but now there are 12,000. Within those 3,000 licence holders there were people who had borrowed to buy the licence and widows who had rented them to earn an income. The Government agreed to establish an independent group to look at the cases put forward by the taxi representative groups and draw up a scheme to assist those who had suffered real hardship. The group met in February or March and has recently reported to the Minister. The Minister will publish the report but wants to find a mechanism to put in place the structures for payments. He has recently appointed a taxi regulator and that was widely welcomed in the industry. The regulator will be charged with implementing the terms of the hardship panel. I understand the report is to be published before Christmas.

I regard that as ominous. If there was anything positive in it, the Minister, Deputy Brennan, would have issued two press releases today. Clearly, it is to be hived off to a regulator. I presume the Minister of State, Deputy Callely is not resigning his post and taking over that of regulator of taxis.

A question, please, Deputy.

Is it not the case that the Minister of State, Deputy Callely, provided that service for years, that he misled the taximen and led them over the abyss with the connivance of the Taoiseach who told them it would not happen? Then the courts dropped them in it and even the Progressive Democrats – Bobby Molloy having set up the committee – admit there are hardship cases. I refer to people genuinely in plight who remortgaged their homes to pay for a plate, widows who were left in a state of penury and people who were ill and were relying on the sale of the plate to retire on a pension. These are hard facts that even the Progressive Democrats admit are the case. Is it not the case that on 16 October the Minister told the House that he was taking the report to the Cabinet? Why must some citizen be found to accept the role of regulator and dispense the largesse? If there was largesse, the Minister, Deputy Brennan would be the first to announce it and to play Santa Claus. Where is he?

I am glad Deputy Rabbitte shares my concern and that of the Tánaiste about people who suffered as a result of this. Some 3,000 taxi people took to the streets two years ago. Every year at this time I answer questions here about the plight of the hard-pressed citizen who cannot get a taxi. Deputy Rabbitte was correct in saying that I set up a forum and sought to obtain an additional 800 licences. He was also correct in saying that the courts moved on that and we now have an additional 9,000 taxis, although I would have been satisfied with an additional 800 only a few years ago. All those developments have taken place.

Some people were financially caught as a result of these developments. We obtained an independent report which assesses this matter. The person who completed the report met everyone concerned, including the representatives of all the taxi groups and the representatives of FARE, the group of women representing taxi people, to whom Deputy Rabbitte referred. While it is one matter to issue a report, the Minister, Deputy Brennan, wanted to develop a process. It is not the Government's intention to change the report. We accept its proposals and it is intended to implement them as quickly as possible. A regulator who will be appointed early in new year will take on that task.