Brennan says issue of taxis is over

The Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, has rejected claims that he is "ignoring" the European Parliament Petitions Committee which is seeking improved compensation for taxi drivers.

This follows the deregulation of the Irish industry.

Mr Brennan told The Irish Times that he had met the drivers and their families, and told them he was prepared to do nothing more for them.

The drivers and families of former drivers, under the umbrella group FAIR - Families Advocate Immediate Redress - have accused the Minister of "disrespect and hypocrisy" in his treatment of the committee. FAIR has also lobbied the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport, which described a Government-appointed "hardship report" as "unsatisfactory" and its recommendations "derisory".

According to Ms Cathy Darling, spokeswoman for FAIR, the EU Petitions Committee visited Dublin last April, and studied the situation, including the recommendations of the hardship report, before coming up with three new recommendations.

These new recommendations include full compensation for losses incurred in the devaluation of taxi plates; the establishment of a commission for taxi regulation; and a review of the hardship report itself.

This weekend Ms Darling said the group was embarrassed that "to date Minister Brennan has refused to answer all correspondence addressed to him by the chairman of the EU Parliament Commission on Petitions, Mr Nino Gemelli.

"It is a great honour for Ireland to hold the European presidency in January, but to accept this honour one should be honourable."

Ms Darling also claimed that in addition to not responding to the Petitions Committee, "the Minister has chosen to ignore the three recommendations contained in the report drawn up by the non-Irish delegation".

However, Mr Brennan told The Irish Times he rejected the allegation that he was ignoring the group. "I have met with these people, and I have listened to their submissions. The answer is no."

He said it was the Government's attitude that the hardship report had "addressed the issues in relation to the widows and families or partners", and that nothing more would be done.

FAIR has said, however, that it is determined to continue its campaign for special arrangements for the families, particularly those of deceased drivers who lost out when the value of taxi plates fell from about €100,000 to €5,000 post-deregulation.

It said some spouses who had leased out their former partner's licence found themselves with an almost valueless asset.