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Taxi drivers have been staging protests about Uber, a billion euro company that is pushing a fixed-fare model onto drivers. They held a briefing here in the Dáil yesterday where representatives reported that this model, if it succeeded, could cut the earnings of many drivers … public. It is governed by the NTA on behalf of the Government and is licensed, Garda vetted, has vehicle standards and a public fare review every two years that the public can feed into and under which taxi drivers have themselves rejected increases. Is the Government

these drivers. However, that is not sufficient, because we also need to legislate. Will the Government prohibit the use of algorithms to set fares and will it legislate to prohibit apps acting as third parties in negotiations on the fare between passengers and drivers? I am not saying … negotiate, but negotiations would have to be done human to human. Will the Government conduct an urgent review of the app-based taxi fare models and their compliance with taxi regulations? The Minister stated that the NTA said this was in accordance with the regulations. The apps

operators that deliver the services and have responsibility for day-to-day operational matters. The NTA has statutory responsibility for the regulation of fares charged to passengers in respect of public transport services provided under PSO contracts. They are the PSOs and the actual public ones. I assure … uplift from last year. It further supports subsidised bus and rail services across Ireland, including rural Ireland. This allocation also maintains targeted fare initiatives, such as the recently introduced free travel for all children up to the age of nine and the young adult card for those aged

Uber, a multimillion euro company, that is trying to undermine the livelihood of nearly 20,000 taxi drivers by introducing a fixed fare system. This will undermine the regulated fare structure and therefore the livelihoods of taxi drivers and ultimately the industry itself. In the long … clear from Uber's behaviour elsewhere in the world, it will not benefit the customer. Once the company gets hold of a market, fares and charges go up and the livelihoods of taxi drivers get smashed. Will the Taoiseach ask the Minister for Transport to impose such regulations

funding for the Department of Transport has enabled delivery on a number of key projects. There was a continuation of the fare initiatives, the 20% adult fare discount, the 50% discount and a 90-minute fare which reduce the cost of public transport and encourage modal shifts. Progress

increase from €658 million in 2025 to €940 million for next year. This package includes funding for the continuation of various fares initiatives such as the young adult card and the 90-minute fare until the end of 2025. Funding has also been provided to extend free child … fares on public service transport to include those aged five to eight years of age and to support the roll-out of new and enhanced bus and rail services under programmes such as BusConnects, to which the Deputy referred, and Connecting Ireland. BusConnects, as Deputy Ward acknowledged

record. The Minister wrote to the National Transport Authority, NTA, to request clarification on the regulatory position on the Uber fixed-price fare for the information of taxi operators and public reps alike. In the response to his letter, the Minister was advised by the NTA that … charging of a fixed-price fare was in accordance with the applicable regulations. He was also advised that the NTA continued to keep the regulatory model under review. The Minister instructed his senior departmental officials to meet the NTA to discuss the response. Following the meeting, which took

basis. Individual commercial operators chose to participate, and the NTA then compensated them for the agreed discount and the fare that was forgone, effectively. This was done to ensure that young people benefited from the reduced fares across both subsidised and participating commercial services. Perhaps there is some

acknowledge the points made by the Minister of State about the investment in the bus service and the provision of the 90-minute fare. These are all positive things. I do not dispute that for a moment. I also welcome the acknowledgement by the NTA that there

created. In cities with extensive PSO networks, children travel free. In rural Ireland, where families have few alternatives, children continue to pay full fares. This creates an obvious urban-rural disparity and it is difficult to justify. The exclusion of these children from this initiative also runs counter

going to accelerate infrastructural development over the coming years also, the combination of these really will determine, I believe, how this Government will fare. However, that is not the most important thing. It will determine the well-being and welfare of our citizens, particularly the most vulnerable, into

Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Transport if he will examine the feasibility of introducing an audio fare announcement system in taxis, similar to the Marquay model used in parts of the United States, which provides audible confirmation of the starting fare, route and final fare

asked the Minister for Transport if he has met with representatives of the taxi industry following concern at the introduction of the fixed fare model; to report on these engagements; if there are plans to update regulations following the introduction of the fixed fare model

Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport how delays to the next generation ticketing programme will affect the implementation of future fare policy reforms including zonal structures, fare caps and open payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70685/25

Boland asked the Minister for Transport the way in which delays to the Next Generation Ticketing programme will affect the implementation of future fare policy reforms including zonal structures, fare caps and open payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69482/25

Minister for Transport to carry out a review of the dispatch operator licensing system; to introduce an amendment or regulation clearly prohibiting fares below the taximeter; and to introduce stronger rules ensuring fare parity, transparency, and protection of driver incomes. [67341/25

Daly asked the Minister for Transport the engagements he has had with the taxi industry in relation to the introduction of the fixed fare model since the six day set of disruptions was called off; the dates on which these meetings took place; who was present

Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Transport the expected timeline for the roll-out of contactless fare payments on all public transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73745/25

Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport if his Department has considered extending the free fares for children under nine years-of-age to commercial bus operators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71325/25

Transport if officials or agencies under his remit, including the National Transport Authority, have conducted a cost-benefit analysis on extending the free fares scheme to include commercial bus operators for children under nine years-of-age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71326/25

asked the Minister for Transport the safeguards which are in place to ensure that passengers are not financially penalised through incorrect or maximum fares, where Leap card machines are unavailable due to equipment failure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71999/25

oversight arrangements that will be put in place to manage the National Transport Authority’s new role as collector and payer of fare revenues once next generation ticketing is introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70694/25

Transport if contactless payments which will be introduced on Local Link services will be charged at the same rate structure as Leap card fares; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69467/25

oversight arrangements that will be put in place to manage the National Transport Authority’s new role as collector and payer of fare revenues once Next Generation Ticketing is introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69491/25

Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Transport his view on fixed-rate fare taxi charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68650/25

Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport the enforcement powers the National Transport Authority currently has to prevent dispatch operators from undercutting regulated fares; and if these powers are sufficient to protect driver incomes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67407/25

dispatch operator licence system to ensure that its purpose remains limited to distributing work to drivers, and not to setting or manipulating fares; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67408/25

considered imposing additional conditions on dispatch operator licences under Section 20(2) of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013 to prevent fare manipulation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67409/25

Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport if he will consider introducing regulations to ensure fare transparency and parity across all dispatch operators, including app-based platforms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67413/25

ensure that the Taxi Regulation Act 2013 protects taxi drivers from the introduction of ‘fixed pricing’ and ensures that companies cannot offer taxi fares below the regulated taxi meter. [68141/25