EDITOR -  As the Wheelchair Accessible SPSV Grant Scheme opens, we are urging all eligible taxi drivers to apply. The WAV Grant Scheme has played a vital role in transforming the accessibility of Ireland’s taxi fleet, with the number of wheelchair-accessible taxis increasing from just over 1,000 in 2016, to over 4,700 in 2026. Freenow by Lyft has also continued to expand its accessible fleet.

While this progress is welcome, demand for the WAV Grant Scheme continues to outstrip the funding available. Expanding the scheme is essential to ensure more drivers can invest in wheelchair accessible vehicles, grow the national accessible fleet, and improve availability for passengers who rely on these services.

We know there is strong interest among drivers in providing accessible services but the significant cost of purchasing a wheelchair accessible vehicle remains one of the biggest barriers.

We are strongly urging the government to increase funding for the WAV Grant Scheme so that more drivers can enter or upgrade within the industry, helping to deliver a more inclusive and accessible transport system for everyone.

Taxis are a critical part of Ireland’s public transport network and remain the country’s only door-to-door public transport option. It is therefore essential that wheelchair users and people with reduced mobility can access a reliable taxi service when they need it.

Danny O’Gorman,

General manager, Freenow by Lyft.

A wheelchair ramp allowing for easier access to taxis.

Community grants help but to what intent?

EDITOR - I refer to an article in this paper:  ‘Amazon allocates funding of up to €10,000 to 22 community projects in grant scheme’.

No doubt the recipients are pleased with this flash in the pan. However I ask the question, what exactly is the function of this cable landing station (data centre?)?

To enhance our communities, or subjugate us increasingly to soulless, faceless multi-trillion foreign corporations?

With what intent?

Kate Brown,

Clonakilty.

Support media in their efforts to enter Gaza

EDITOR – The EU, the UK and US could support their media in their requests to Israel to independently enter Gaza - because it is one of the biggest man-made humanitarian disasters of our time.

Israel’s continual barring of them from Gaza shows they are not comfortable with foreign media reporting, observing - and interviewing civilians. It is believed from aerial satellite photos that Israel has cleared and is clearing areas to remove evidence and of rubble under which there are/were remains of people.

On Thursday, April 30th, a month after a ceasefire in Gaza began in March, the Foreign Press Association published a joint open letter to Israel from 31 foreign news groups seeking independent access to Gaza and was refused.

They included Reuters, CNN, ABC News, NPR, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Guardian, the Associated Press, Le Monde, Sky News, ITV News, Channel 4 News, BBC News, Agence France-Presses and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

They stated: ‘In every conflict, journalists face limits in access to war zones. But Gaza is different. For more than 930 days, Israel has barred foreign reporters from independently entering the territory... This has pushed the responsibility for covering this devastating war and its aftermath almost entirely on our Palestinian colleagues.’

In 2024 the Foreign Press Association had also petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court to be allowed enter Gaza independently - the petition was refused based on Israel’s security concerns.

Some 200 Palestinian journalists were killed in Gaza during the war - which began on October 7th 2023 to the ceasefire in March 2026. We are now in July 2026. The international or foreign media is not yet allowed independently into Gaza.

Mary Sullivan,

Cork.

Lack of bus access is an ‘appalling’ oversight

EDITOR - Something has come to my attention recently after trying to book a place on Bus Éireann from Cork to Ballydehob. It was on behalf of my cousin who lives in Cork City and is disabled and a wheelchair user. After a good half an hour on the phone, I was told there were no wheelchair friendly buses that operate from Cork to West Cork. I then asked could they check Skibbereen, Bantry, Dunmanway,  Clonakilty , anywhere really that I could meet her off the bus.

Not one of these buses covered any of the areas. In this day and age I found this an appalling oversight. I lodged a complaint and got a reply saying they acknowledged my email but nothing about changing this huge inconvenience for wheelchair users.

So basically,  if you are a wheelchair user, you cannot visit our lovely West Cork on Bus Éireann...

Alison Conlon