Sinn Fein transport spokesperson, Dessie Ellis TD, has said that while a focus on the problems facing the Taxi industry is welcome the proposed Taxi Regulation Bill offers very little to help struggling taxi drivers or give better service to the public. He made his comments as the Dáil prepares to the debate the Bill which resulted from the recommendations of a review group setup in 2011. He made his comments as the Dáil is set to debate the bill in question this week.
Deputy Ellis said:
“The Minister it would seem has chosen to focus his attention more on the headline grabbing red herrings rather than proposing real reform or sufficient regulation to ensure s sustainable industry where operators can make a decent living.
Criminal behaviour in the taxi industry should be stamped out but it is not the major problem as the Minister would lead us to believe. This Bill does nothing to help ordinary law abiding taxi drivers.
This is a missed opportunity to address the oversupply in the industry, to provide an independent appeals process and improve and consultation and accountability.
Sinn Fein made submissions to the Minister in the run up to the drafting of this Bill which he chose to ignore as he has chosen to ignored the needs of industry and its members.”

Sinn Fein TD Dessie Ellis has blasted the government for their active role in attempting to place further barriers to employment in front of former political prisoners. He made his comments as part of a debate on a Sinn Fein motion on the Good Friday Agreement in the Dáil this evening.
Deputy Ellis said:
“The spirit of the Good Friday Agreement is clear. Barriers should be removed not erected in terms of allowing ex-prisoners from the conflict to obtain employment. The people backed this agreement with massive support and the government is bound by its commitment.
“Fine Gael and Labour have, particularly in relation to Haulage and Taxi industries, sought to make it more difficult for ex-prisoners covered under the Good Friday Agreement to keep work.
“This is threatening the livelihood of many families and is totally unacceptable.
“The government cannot pick and choose what it likes about the agreement it signed up to. It must live up to its responsibility and remove barriers to employment and give this a legislative basis.
“For a government so eager to honour its agreements with bankers and bondholders it is truly galling to see their total disregard for the agreement which brought gave peace room to grow.”
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