Gardaí have admitted that a number of people with criminal convictions have been given licences to drive taxis, but they have declined to say how many of them may have convictions for sex offences. A garda spokesman said they made a human error in issuing a taxi licence to the man who was at the centre of the X-case, but they still have not revoked his licence following allegations by a young girl passenger that he sexually assaulted her. Fine Gael Deputy Alan Shatter has described the situation as scandalous and an outrage.
The Gardaí today admitted they made a mistake in issuing a taxi licence to the man who was at the centre of the X-case. It has emerged that the fifty-year-old man was driving a taxi when a fourteen-year-old girl, who was a passenger in the vehicle, recently made allegations of a sexual nature against him. The allegations are under investigation, and the man's taxi licence is being reviewed, but has not been revoked.
The man was sentenced to 14 years for raping the young girl at the centre of the X-case, but this was reduced to four years on appeal. He served three years. He later applied to a south Dublin Garda Station for a PSV or public service licence to enable him to drive a taxi. A check showed that a man of the same name had a conviction, but because the applicant had changed addresses, a spokesman admitted that they failed to match the conviction to the applicant, and after satisfying all the of the requirements, he was given a licence on September 22nd 1997.
At the end of July last year, a member of the Gardaí recognised the man as a person having a conviction and reported the matter to the carriage office. As a result, the man was called in to see the Chief Superintendent in charge of the Traffic Department on August 25th. However, the spokesman said that the man was allowed to continue to operate as a taxi driver, as he had been doing so for a year and had no unfavourable reports. Psychological reports had also been favourable. The spokesman said that because of this, it was considered that he had a constitutional right to earn a living. However, in view of the recent allegations made against him, his licence is now being reviewed, but has not been revoked.
