Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I concur with Deputy Catherine Murphy's comments. I would like a recommendation from the committee that all toll barriers be removed. It is counterproductive from the perspective of CO2 emissions. We could ask TII what the Environmental Protection Agency has said about Dublin Port tunnel in general about nitrogen oxide, NOx, emissions and CO2. We would find it is way in excess of what the EU allows and, therefore, we are paying fines. We could ask the question of what fines have been paid on foot of the Dublin Port tunnel toll barrier. We are creating NOx emissions traps, and that is apart from anything related to the cost of living.

We cannot discount the fact that when a truck stops, the torque required for the truck to take off costs €1. It is now €2 because it is a litre of fuel. Each way, that is €4 per truck and 20,000 trucks per day is in the region of €80,000 per day. We do have to look at that. We have to look at how that can be passed back to the consumer in a reduction in transport costs. This is what I would like to see. I would like to see far greater savings in the region of €400,000 per week being used on behalf of the taxpayer. I would consider removing toll barriers around the country starting with the Dublin Port Tunnel. I do not buy the excuse that it is a traffic management system. All over the world, there are tolled tunnels that do not use an actual barrier. We need to invest in that technology. It would be an investment in lung health and in the Exchequer in the long run.