Its estimated there are around one hundred people with serious criminal records working as taxi and hackney drivers.

Gardai are to mount checkpoints around the country over the coming days - to clamp down on rogue and illegal operators.

Assistant Garda Commissioner John Twomey, Gerard Macken from the Taxi Alliance of Ireland and the Public Transport Minister Alan Kelly demonstrating the Taxi Driver Check App, which can be used to verify drivers:

Tax, insurance and licences will be checked under Operation Taxi, which will also be used to root out unroadworthy vehicles.

Our News Correspondent Fergal O'Brien reports: