The deregulation of the taxi system in Ireland was brought in to increase the number of taxis on the streets, especially here in Dublin, to bring competition to the taxi industry and, it was hoped, to bring prices down, so imagine the shock I feel when I am sitting in a taxi and the taxi driver tells me that he is renting the plate of an individual who owns about 200 plates and he is paying €6,500 per annum for the taxi plate. When I investigated a little further, I found out that there are a number of individuals in Dublin who have between 25 and 200 taxi plates. That does not facilitate the individuals who are paying six and a half grand for the pleasure of driving a taxi. Their first two days are gone in just paying for the rent on the plate, then they have to pay for insurance, petrol, diesel, electricity and whatever else. Where is the regulator in all of this? How can somebody buy a number of taxi plates? Surely to God we should allow these people set themselves up as sole traders. The plan was that they would be sole traders, they would compete with one another, and there would be more taxis on the road. We need a debate on the whole taxi system and how it works in this country. It is grossly unfair to expect any individual to have to pay €6,500 rent. If we are going to operate a rental system for plates, then let the State operate it and let the State benefit from it. Otherwise, let us do away with it.

It is great to see Fine Gael has introduced a new training system for Acting Leaders. I hope they are learning from this, and an essay from each of them at the end of their period to explain what they have learned might be good.