HSE spends €60k a day on taxis as two firms net €1m a year

The daily spend on taxis by the HSE last year topped €60,000 and represented a €1m-plus bonanza for two major taxi firms.

Figures released by the HSE in response to a freedom of information request show that the overall HSE spend on taxis last year topped €22.19m.

The figures show that two firms last year received in excess of €1m, with the HSE paying out more than €1.2m to National Radio Cabs and €1.2m to Dave’s Taxis, with both firms doing the vast majority of their work in the greater Dublin area.

The highest regional spend was in the South area, where €9m was spent; and this was followed by a spend of €5.76m by HSE Dublin Mid-Leinster Region; with a spend of Dublin North East Region of €3.287m.

The figures show that the spend in the HSE West Region was €3.38m.

The detailed breakdown shows that the largest recipient from the HSE Dublin North East HSE area was National Radio Cabs plc, which received €554,639; Dave’s Taxis, which received €252,355; Caffrey’s Cabs, which received €223,137; Floods Taxi Service Ltd, which received €166,799; and Sherry’s Cabs, which received €139,845.

The figures for the HSE Dublin Mid-Leinster show that Dave’s Taxis received €988,565; National Radio Cabs plc received €946,666; Precious Cargo received €606,330; A1 Laois Taxis Ltd received €232,824; Dalkey Taxis received €189,519; and Assumpta Begley received€147,564.

In the HSE West area, the taxi firms paid the most are listed as GWY Taxis, which received €230,638; Owen Linnane, which received €205,896; and Mayo Community taxis which received €164,811.

In the South, Mallow Taxi Company received €755,745, with West Cork Coach Hire receiving €391,820 and Frank McEvoy receiving €386,310.

The figures show that, also in the South region, Pat Busher got €292,383; Sun Cabs received €250,182; John Crean Taxis received €204,439; and John O’Donoghue & Sons got €186,142.

Michael Gray Ltd received €144,668, while Dunmore East Private Hire received €136,426.

In the Midwest, the largest recipients over a 12-month period were Castletroy Corporate Cabs, which received €434,468; Johnston Hackney & Minibus Hire, which received €213,794; TNV Taxi Services Ltd, which received €199,143; Estuary Minibus and Cab Hire Ltd, which received €191,819; and Horrigan Car Service, which received €149,971.