TAXI FIRMS are receiving sums in excess of €200,000 per annum from the HSE West area for services without having to tender for the work, it emerged yesterday.
In response to a Freedom of Information request, the HSE confirmed that last year, it paid taxi companies €3.7 million in nine counties from Donegal to Limerick.
The figures show that three taxi firms received over €200,000 last year: TMG Passenger (SF Cab) based in Swinford, Co Mayo received the highest amount across the HSE area at €295,998, with Brehon’s Taxi Service of Curraghroe, Co Roscommon receiving €246,155. The third firm was Limerick-based Castletroy Corporate Cabs, which received €209,751.
Two other firms received over €150,000: Big-O-Taxi-Co of Upper Dominick Street, Galway received €168,120 and Athlone Cab Company of Athlone received €158,805.
The records show seven firms received over €100,000. Maura Reaney of Connemara, Co Galway received €137,726; Francis Comer of Oranmore, Co Galway received €137,724; Gertie Clark of Strokestown, Co Roscommon received €131,090; Letterkenny Cabs received €125,760; Sean T McCann of Charlestown, Co Mayo received €125,374 , Owen Linnane of Ardrahan, Co Galway received €116,240 and Moran’s Minibus of Castlebar, Co Mayo got €105,814.
The HSE yesterday confirmed the taxi work was not put out to tender, but that it intends to roll out tender processing for taxi work across the country following a pilot scheme in the Dublin/ Wicklow/ Kildare area.
The spokeswoman pointed out that previous contracts for taxi services covering Galway, Mayo and Roscommon were put out to tender in October 2001 with expiry of October 2005.
However, no tendering for taxi services has occurred since 2005 due to a number of factors. According to the spokeswoman, these include “an internal HSE review of patient transport services”, conducted in 2008.
She said: “It was considered prudent not to consider new contract arrangements until such time as the review was completed.”
