Emer Currie (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach and Senator Cummins. I want to raise yesterday's news that increases in road tolls will go ahead on 1 January. I appreciate the delay from the start of 2023 and the fact that the Government subsidised the companies involved in public private partnerships, PPPs, since June, although I have other questions as to how these PPPs work.

I want to talk about the M50 and the eFlow barrier-free toll operated by Transport Infrastructure Ireland. I acknowledge that the toll revenue goes towards the upkeep and the renewal of the national road network but the toll bridge, as it is known on the M50, is the only place where a toll is actually charged. As far as I can see there has been no consideration of the impact these charges are going to have on the communities of Lucan, Castleknock, Clonsilla and the Strawberry Beds, where one can see people avoiding the tolls and the effect this has on congestion. This can been seen more at weekends, when people have more time. There is going to be a significant increase of 20 cent for cars and €2.50 per journey if you have a tag. It will be €3.10 for a video account and €3.70 each way if you do not. For other categories of vehicles, there will be an increase of between 30 cent and 40 cent. Let us remember that when it comes to electric vehicle discounts, these are also going.

The Economic an Social Research Institute says that the user pays. With regard to Castleknock and Lucan, however, we probably pay the most and have not seen any mitigation in the context of the impact the congestion to which I refer has on our communities.What is the plan? Places like Lucan village, the Strawberry Beds and Clonsilla cannot just continue to take; there has to be some give.