The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer is in next. Senator Murphy O'Mahony can fire away.

I thank the Minister of State for coming in today to take this Commencement matter. Being from Cork, I think he will agree with me about the shortage of taxis, particularly in big towns and cities.

I welcome the opportunity to raise the growing shortage of taxis across Ireland, a problem that is increasingly affecting public mobility, social inclusion, economic activity and accessibility in communities across the country. What was once an occasional inconvenience has become a persistent transport problem. Whether people are trying to attend a hospital appointment, get home from work, return safely after a night out or travel to a major event, they increasingly find that taxis are simply not available when they need them.

The figures are concerning. National Transport Authority data show that the number of taxi licences in operation fell from over 27,000 in 2019 to just over 26,000 in 2023, a reduction of more than 1,000 vehicles nationally. More significantly, licence numbers have fallen in 23 of the Twenty-six Counties since 2019, with some counties experiencing particularly sharp declines. These figures do not simply represent vehicles disappearing from the road; they represent people being left stranded and high and dry.

Every weekend, constituents tell us the same story. After social events, sporting fixtures and nights out, they face long waits, repeated app rejections or no available taxis at all. This raises serious road safety concerns.

We rightly encourage people not to drink and drive, yet in many towns and rural communities there is no reliable way to get home safely at night. The problem is especially visible during major events. Anyone who attended Zach Bryan’s concert in Cork or the ongoing concerts in Marlay Park or Malahide Castle will be familiar with the difficulties people face trying to get home afterwards. Concertgoers report long waits, extensive walks to find transport and exceptionally high fares driven by the scarcity of taxis. Some have even left events early due to concerns about being stranded. This is not just an inconvenience; it risks damaging Ireland’s reputation as a destination for tourism and major events such as those big concerts.

The consequences are even more serious for older people, people with disabilities and those attending medical appointments. Many people rely on taxis to access healthcare, particularly where public transport options are limited. For someone attending a hospital appointment, cancer treatment or a dialysis session access to a taxi is not a luxury; it is a necessity.

The economic impact is significant too. Hospitality businesses, pubs, restaurants and tourism operators report that customers are choosing to stay at home because they cannot rely on getting transport home. Rural businesses are particularly affected where alternative transport options are limited or often do not exist.

This issue has moved far beyond being a major inconvenience. It affects people’s ability to access healthcare, participate in social life, support local businesses and return home safely after events. It has a disproportionate impact on older people, people with disabilities, those living in rural communities and those without access to a private car.

I, therefore, ask the Minister of State to acknowledge that Ireland is facing a genuine taxi availability or non-availability crisis and to bring forward a comprehensive plan to increase taxi numbers nationwide. That plan should address barriers to entry for new drivers, incentives to attract and retain drivers, measures to improve rural coverage and solutions for major events where demand regularly overwhelms supply.

Before the Minister of State rises, I welcome Fr. Aquin Casey from Cobh and Sr. Carmel.

It is pronounced like "Aquinas".

Aquinas, that is right. I apologise to Fr. Casey for butchering his name. Fr. Casey and Sr. Carmel are guests of Deputy Noel McCarthy. I also welcome the members of the Ballyvolane Community Association group and Ballyphehane Day Care Centre, who are guests of Deputy Ken O'Flynn and the Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin. They are all very welcome. I hope that they have a nice day.

I will have to bring the Acting Chair to Cork for some placename appreciation. I join with the Acting Chair in first welcoming Fr. Aquin Casey and Sr. Carmel. What the Acting Chair does not know is that Fr. Aquin was in my class in college. I also welcome the ladies from Ballyphehane Day Care Centre. It is a phenomenal centre in Cork city. It does huge work. I also welcome the ladies from Ballyvolane and the members from the Mayfield Chit Chat group. I have a number of past pupils in the group. All of the guests are very welcome - Corcaigh abú.

That is seeing as they are not playing football.

We will not mention football after last Saturday. We have the hurling next Sunday against Senator Murphy's team. I want to mention to Senator McCarthy to mind the front gate and keep it painted. It is very important. I welcome Fr. Aquin as well. He is a good friend of mine since 1984. It is a great day to be in the Seanad to welcome a great group from Cork. For anyone who has not been in Cork, the Ballyphehane Day Care Centre is a phenomenal place that does great work. As they also do in Mayfield. I taught in Ballyphehane and know the ladies well.

I thank the Senator for her very important topic. I am taking it on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. As the Senator knows, there is a big issue regarding rural transport in terms of connectivity. As the Minister of State with responsibility for rural transport, I am acutely aware of the needs that the Senator highlighted and I thank her for raising the matter.

As she knows, the Minister does not have day-to-day responsibility for taxis. It is the National Transport Authority, NTA. While the NTA has statutory responsibility for the regulation, licensing and enforcement of the small public service vehicle, SPSV, industry, taxi drivers are self-employed.

The Senator, however, is correct. The number of licensed SPSV drivers declined during Covid-19.

However, in the two-year period up to 2026, the number of taxi drivers increased by 12%, or 3,096, to 28,327. Senator Murphy O'Mahony is right that driver numbers were at their lowest in May 2022, and this presents a difficulty.

The Department is working with the NTA to ensure we improve accessibility, which the Senator rightly highlighted, and we have been making changes. We have been examining how to make it easier to operate a licensed vehicle. I will not give the historical figures because they are not important in this discussion. What is important are the valid points the Senator made.

The NTA has taken steps to support taxi drivers nationwide and to increase the number taxis available. We have extended the period that licences can rest in inactive status, that is, expired, from 12 months to 24 months. That is now a permanent situation. In addition, we have introduced a 9% increase in the national maximum taxi fare, which took effect from 1 December 2024, and we have also introduced the 2024 fares order, which is currently under review. This includes a special rate for the weekend peak, from Friday night into Saturday morning and Saturday night into Sunday morning. In addition, there are also grants available for SPSV operators looking to upgrade or purchase new vehicles. These are funded by the Department of Transport and administered by the NTA.

From a rural perspective, as the Senator correctly said, the NTA issues local area hackney, LAH, licences, where applicants can show there is a need, and this can be done as a part-time service. A resident of an area in respect of which the LAH licence is sought is not now required to undertake the industry knowledge or area knowledge tests that are normally required when applying for these licences. LAH drivers must be licensed but their vehicles, which are not required to be wheelchair accessible, must also be licensed and insured. In April of this year, we introduced new regulations to increase the uptake in this special licence category and to address a 2025 programme for Government commitment to collaborate with the NTA to improve local taxi service provision. There are new regulations allowing for up to five drivers to operate a licence. Second, licences will be granted where local communities can demonstrate a real need in transport that is not being adequately met. Also, the maximum licence period has been extended from three years to five years.

The Senator is right that there is a lacuna. We are working to address it and I look forward to working with her further to ensure we have more taxis and hackneys in rural areas in particular.

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. The old cliché "a lot done, a lot more to do" comes to mind. Will the Minister of State give me a rough timeframe for his plans going forward? I stress again the importance of people being able to get home. A lot of people are now suffering from mental health issues and they cannot even go on a night out, or even get into town to shop, because they are afraid of being stranded, particularly at night-time. While we encourage people not to drink and drive - obviously, it is not acceptable ever to do so - a lot of people are now walking home, which is very dangerous, especially on country roads. I would appreciate a timeframe.

In the context of a timeframe, the NTA is currently reviewing the dispatch licensing regulatory framework and it hopes to have new regulations prepared by quarter 4. As the Senator said, we have a lot done and we have more to do. We have given a variety of grants, through the NTA, to drivers looking to upgrade and purchase new vehicles. As I said on the local area hackney regulations, we have changed that model of delivery just this year. There is a whole new suite of proposals. We hope this will ensure more people will come into the industry and that we will have people being able to go to a concert or go out at night-time and avoid the temptation to drink and drive, which we cannot allow people to do.

We have seen an increase in the number of licences being granted and we are working to ensure the low numbers reached during Covid are increased. The bottom line is that it will take advocacy from people like the Senator, who has been a champion and leader in this area. It will take the Department, with the NTA, local councils and the hospitality sector, to drive this.

It is an important issue but we have made changes. It is also a business decision.

I hope we can get more people involved. I thank the Senator for raising the matter. I will work with her to ensure more road users avail of hackneys and taxis.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy. If Senator O'Loughlin is in agreement, we will take her Commencement matter in advance of that of Senator P. J. Murphy to allow the latter some time to prepare.

That is no problem at all. I am happy to do it.

Is that agreed? Agreed. I thank the Senator for facilitating us.