To ask the Minister for Infrastructure whether she will seek to bring forward further financial support for taxi drivers.

At present, the priority is to process the 4500 valid applications that have been received from taxi drivers for the current scheme, with 3500 payments issued before Christmas. Staff in my Department are working at pace to process all the remaining applications as quickly as possible, once outstanding information is received, to enable payments to be made to those who are eligible without delay.

I have asked my officials to explore further options for helping those taxi drivers who were not eligible for the current scheme. At the same time, I also continue to press for the inclusion of the taxi sector in the various other support schemes being taken forward across the Executive, particularly Part B of the CBRRS run by the Department for the Economy.