Brennan to reveal €13m taxi hardship fund

Political Editor

The package will include plans to appoint a new taxi industry regulator who may be charged with implementing the hardship fund as well as establishing and policing new standards for the sector.

Mr Brennan yesterday stressed that he was not proposing a compensation scheme for those who lost due to the major changes in the business introduced two year's ago and which dramatically increased the taxi supply.

Officials said the scheme aims to help those who suffered hardship, such as widows or dependents who relied on a taxi plate which had been worth upto €100,000 "We will also be looking at the cases of taxi drivers who had paid large sums of money for plates some time before deregulation reduced the plate value to some 5,000," one official said last night.

About 2,000 taxi drivers have so far applied under the hardship scheme But one government source indicated last night that, depending on the level of take-up an increased sum might be available It is likely compensation awards may be in the €5,000 to €12,000 bracket. This is far less than amounts of up to €30,000 already mentioned by some union leaders.

Dublin taxi drivers are due to hold a stoppage next Thursday to protest at this and other issues.

Service is to be withdrawn between 1pm and 4pm as drivers parade in convoy from the Phoenix Park to Leinster House.

The protest, organised by SIPTU and the National Taxi Drivers' Union, is to protest at the delay on the compensation issue, insurance costs, loss of income and the number of part-timers in the business. Mr Brennan also rejected reports that the Luas construction was likely to suffer delays due to the cutbacks published in the Book of Estimates last Thursday.

The minister said it was already known the first line would not be running in December of next year as planned but would be in service by March 2004 at the latest.