Granting of more taxi licences `awaiting judgment'

The Government cannot intervene in the granting of additional taxi licenses until a High Court judgment on the issue is delivered. The Minister of State for Environment, Mr Bobby Molloy, told the House that legal proceedings were issued in February following the Government's initiative to increase the number of taxi licences in the Dublin area.

He told Fine Gael's transport spokeswoman, Ms Olivia Mitchell, and the party's justice spokesman, Mr Alan Shatter, that the High Court granted an interim injunction preventing Dublin Corporation granting taxi licences pending the outcome of a judicial review, the decision on which is expected next Friday.

Fine Gael had sharply criticised the Government's lack of action in providing adequate taxi and public transport services and claimed the lack of transport late at night had contributed to recent violent deaths in Dublin.