Tipp TD stands up for the county's transport operators

Tipperary Sinn Féin TD Martin Browne has said that an inadequate supports system for haulage operators and private bus and coach operators must be addressed.

Teachta Browne made the call as he addressed An Taoiseach in the Dáil.

He said: “The haulage industry is responsible for a large number of jobs in Co Tipperary, and other businesses such as Gleeson’s Concrete in Donohill are reliant on them.

“But recent legislation aimed to provide emergency support to members of the haulage industry as costs rise, excluded a substantial portion of the sector.

“Businesses who are reliant on their hauliers, have pointed out that while some delivery fleet personnel across the industry hold a haulage licence and will benefit from the emergency measure, others, who are “own-account operators” and are not required to hold a haulage licence are ineligible for the Government’s support measures.

“This is despite the fact that they incur the same level of increase in costs as experienced by licenced hauliers. All operators are required to be fully compliant with the relevant legislation and must declare details of their vehicles to the Road Safety Authority.

“Coach and school bus operators have also been left out of the government scheme, which I also raised with An Taoiseach, who I told that jobs and livelihoods are at risk as a result.

“I asked what consideration the government is giving to extending the support measures to include those operators who have been locked out of them.

“While he acknowledges that the impacts of inflationary measures ‘might be be longer term than we might have anticipated’, it is unacceptable that he seems happy to do no more for these business.

“I will continue to press him for action.”