Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

I wish to return to the issue of the M50. Yesterday the Taoiseach seemed to want to distance himself and the Government from the announcement made on television on Friday night by Minister for Transport, Deputy Cullen, and subsequent stories by him and inspired by him, to the effect the Government plans to lift the barrier on the West Link bridge and install four new tolls along the M50. The only thing that is clear from yesterday is that the hard-pressed motorist can expect no alleviation between now and 2008. Will the Taoiseach confirm that the Government proposes to take no action between now and 2008, despite the fact that additional trucks will spew onto the bridge from the port tunnel at a daily rate equivalent to the normal net annual increase in traffic, according to the Secretary General of the Department? The upgrade works have started and will take two years, which means it is now that motorists need the barrier to be lifted.

As I said, the Taoiseach seemed to deny the Minister, Deputy Cullen's inspired statements. The Irish Independent on Saturday stated "the Irish Independent has learned that motorists will face more than three replacement State electronic tolls situated at regular intervals along the motorway".

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