Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 20th July, 2021.

The National Transport Authority, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by section 7 of the Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016 (No. 37 of 2013 as amended), hereby makes the following Regulations to make exceptional provision, having regard to the Covid-19 pandemic, and in order to mitigate the adverse economic consequences likely to result from the spread of that disease and to mitigate its impact on essential public transport services:

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Small Public Service Vehicle (Emergency Measure Covid-19) (Expired Licence) Regulations 2021.

2. In these Regulations “Principal Regulations” means the Taxi Regulation (Small Public Service Vehicle) Regulations 2015 ( S.I. No. 33 of 2015 ).

3. In these Regulations, “Covid-19” means a disease caused by infection with the virus SARS-CoV-2 and specified as an infectious disease in accordance with Regulation 6 of, and the Schedule to, the Infectious Diseases Regulations 1981 ( S.I. No. 390 of 1981 ) or any variant of the disease so specified as an infectious disease in those Regulations.

4. These Regulations shall be deemed to have come into operation on the 13 March 2021.

5. The Principal Regulations are amended by substituting at Regulation 17 (2)(a) “twenty four” for “twelve”.

GIVEN under the Seal of the National Transport Authority,

16 July 2021.

FRED BARRY,

Chairperson, National Transport Authority.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

The purpose of the Small Public Service Vehicle (Emergency Measure Covid-19) (Expired Licence) Regulations 2021 is to amend Regulation 17 to extend the period for application for a replacement licence by the holder of a small public service vehicle licence that has expired to 24 months.