There will be repossessions of taxi-drivers' homes as the effects of deregulation are felt, the National Taxi-Drivers' Union has warned.
Mr Vincent Kearns, NTDU vice-president, said a taxi-driver's home had been threatened with repossession and this was a "direct result of taxi deregulation".
The house was due to be repossessed next Monday but a stay was put on the repossession because the driver was due a refund on a £15,000 fee he paid for a wheelchair-accessible licence before deregulation.
When deregulation was announced, the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Mr Bobby Molloy, said drivers who had paid £15,000 for wheelchair-accessible licences would receive a refund as the fee had been reduced to £100.
"This driver can't make a living any more and is looking for a full-time job," Mr Kearns said. "There has been a 100 per cent increase in licence numbers on the streets. Drivers can't make enough to survive. I believe that this is the first of very many repossessions."