Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 January 2026
328. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on his commitment to meet with representatives of taxi drivers and the NTA on fixed pricing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3577/26]
View answerAs the Deputy is already aware, the National Transport Authority (NTA) is the independent transport regulator of the SPSV sector, and I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of that sector.
I wrote to the NTA in November last to request clarification on the regulatory position on the Uber fixed price fare for the information of taxi operators and public representatives alike. In its response to my letter, I was advised by the NTA that the charging of a fixed fare is in accordance with the applicable regulations. I have also been advised that the NTA continues to keep the regulatory model under review. Senior officials from my department met with the NTA to discuss the response on 09 December 2025.
I also formally requested the urgent consideration of the matter at a special meeting of the Advisory Committee on Small Public Service Vehicles on 11 December last which officials from the department and NTA attended. The Advisory Committee is an independent body established under the Taxi Regulation Act 2013 and its primary function is to provide advice to the NTA as regulator and to the Minister for Transport in relation to taxis, hackneys and their drivers. Membership of the Committee includes drivers, operators, and representatives of consumer interests and disability interests.
The structure of the SPSV market has undoubtedly changed over the last number of years, particularly in relation to the role of dispatch operators. With this in mind, I have requested that the NTA conducts a regulatory assessment of dispatch operator licensing in Ireland, in the context of ensuring that the regulatory framework for this element of the overall sector is sufficiently up to date and robust to respond to developments in the SPSV market, since the enactment of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013. In addition, I have requested that all stakeholders are given the opportunity to feed into this work as soon as possible. I will also be meeting with representatives of the sector in the coming weeks.
