Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. McDonnell for the presentation. The truckers have organisations North and South. In the South they want the charge to be cost-neutral. In the North, however, the charge is imposed. People have talked about an exemption for the A5 and other roads but it is a difficult matter to police because there are roads criss-crossing everywhere. Mr. O’Dwyer spoke about Musgraves. Transport goes into the North, heading up to Donegal, and crossing the Border. That will be badly hit if we cannot find some other arrangement. I agree there are serious problems about this in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Sinn Féin has tabled a motion on this but it will not be implemented because there are no clear rules for the PSNI, which is supposed to police it but does not know what to do. There is a window of opportunity to consider this. Pressure must be applied to the British Government. We need an exemption. We need to be tied in with some of the other countries mentioned. If we start to argue about this road or that road we may end up with an exemption but if we keep arguing we will be giving in straightaway, saying this is our position. That is what worries me.

The Minister will not run with the toll-free idea. I have talked to him about this several times, although he has indicated that he will consider the tax. It is extremely important for the truckers to send out a strong message when the budget is being formulated because there is no doubt the association will lose some members, who will go North. That has already happened. The same has happened to the Irish Road Haulage Association, IRHA, which has lost 10% and the figure will continue to rise. There are major losses. The issue is not just between North and South on the roads but also South to North at the ports. There is a big problem there. If we focus on one area at the Border we forget that we have to deal with freight from Wales, Scotland and England. I am not sure the association's focus is right. We entered into the Good Friday Agreement on the basis that there would be co-operation between North and South. We have been arguing that the Border should be removed. What Mr. McDonnell says about exemptions consolidates borders.