Payments of more than €600,000 will be made to 49 taxi drivers who have been deemed to have suffered hardship following liberalisation of the sector, the Minister for Transport Mr Brennan said today.
In a statement the Minister said the payments were being made following the report of the Taxi Hardship Panel. This body decided that there were groups who had suffered financial hardship including widows of taxi drivers, those aged over 65, drivers without pensions and those with large loan repayments.
Mr Brennan said the drivers who have qualified for payment are among 400 claims received. He said further applications would be approved in February.
The payments announced today range from between €3,000 to €15,000. Forty of them are for €13,000.
According to the Hardship Panel total payments to claimants should not exceed €15 million. The recommendations of the panel were approved by the Government in late 2002.
"I am pleased that the stage in the process has now been reached when actual payments to individuals who suffered verified hardship have started," said Mr Brennan.
He said following liberalisation three years ago the number of taxis has risen from 3,900 to over 11,000.