Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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181. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason why the wheelchair accessible grant scheme 2024 from the NTA is closed to applications; and the steps his Department is taking to ensure that persons who wish to become wheelchair-friendly taxi drivers are facilitated, given the struggles faced in transportation by persons with disabilities on a daily basis. [42663/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) sector, including administering the wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) Grant Scheme, is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the provisions of the Consolidated Taxi Regulation Act 2013 and 2016. I have no role in the day-to-day operations of the SPSV sector.

The NTA's WAV Grant Scheme 2024 (WAV24) opened on 2 January 2024 and closed to applicants on February 1st 2024. The level of interest vastly exceeded all previous years with an unprecedented number of applications lodged in the opening hours. In excess of 2,900 applications were received for the Scheme by 1 February 2024. The NTA closed the scheme to new applications on that same day, as all funding had been allocated. As of 11th October 2024, the NTA has licensed 364 wheelchair accessible SPSVs under the 2024 Scheme, and continues to process successful applications. The NTA issued 210 Provisional Grant Offers to those on the cancellation list in early September. In line with the terms and conditions of the Scheme, applicants must complete the licensing process by 13 December 2024 in order to avail of the grant support.

Wheelchair accessible taxi and hackney vehicle licence holders are legally obliged to prioritise service to persons with disabilities, including those who wish to travel in their wheelchairs. The NTA can request those who hold these licences to provide booking records to confirm that the service is being provided to those who need it. To ensure accessibility for all on public transport, NTA compliance officers investigate all complaints made in relation to the services provided by wheelchair accessible taxis and hackneys, and impose fines for each instance of refusal. These fines are €250 for refusing to carry a passenger in a wheelchair and €250 for refusing to carry a guide dog or assistance dog in an SPSV.