Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)

I assume the Minister accepts there will be a significant increase in traffic volume on the M50, particularly in the vicinity of the West Link bridge, as a result of the opening of the Dublin Port tunnel. My question asked what proposals the Minister had for managing the imminent increase in traffic volume, particularly of heavy goods vehicles, on the West Link toll bridge. We know traffic in the area is chaotic, with the M50 operating to capacity and daily reports of the problems associated with queuing at the toll bridge. A further 7,000 trucks per day will use the M50 and West Link toll bridge when the port tunnel opens. This is a recipe for chaos and gridlock on the outer fringes of Dublin.

In answer to my question, the Minister attempted to pass the buck by referring to a variety of agencies. He knows perfectly well that Dublin City Council has no role in respect of the West Link. The council is doing one thing in the city centre, the National Roads Authority something else on the outskirts and National Tolls Roads and Fingal County Council are also involved. It appears nobody is in charge despite the fact that we face chaos when the port tunnel opens next year. Traffic on the M50 is bad enough as it is. What are the Minister's proposals for managing the major problems which will arise in the middle of next year when Dublin Port tunnel opens?

The Minister referred to open road tolling, an issue he has been talking about for a long time. Legislation is required to introduce this system which is urgently needed on the West Link. What is the Minister's target date for introducing open road tolling? A number of proposals have been made to lift the toll gates on an experimental basis to encourage greater use of the road at off-peak times. Has the Department carried out a cost benefit analysis in respect of the possibility of lifting the toll gates or the impact such an initiative would have on traffic flows?

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