John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)

In their absence, I congratulate the Ceann Comhairle and Leas-Cheann Comhairle and wish them well in their important job of upholding the dignity of the House. As I know from another sphere of activity in which I am involved, the referee is never the most popular person on the field, particularly when he gives a red card in the first minute. I do not doubt, however, that the Ceann Comhairle and the Leas-Cheann Comhairle have the ability and political experience necessary to allow them to do an excellent job. I also congratulate the Minister, Deputy Noel Dempsey, and the Minister of State, Deputy Billy Kelleher, on their new roles.

As this is my first time to speak in the House, I am honoured to have the privilege to represent the people of County Mayo. To those who supported me in my campaign and voted for me, I offer my sincere thanks. It is my firm intention to work on behalf of and represent the interests of all of the people of County Mayo, both in the House and on whatever committee of which I become a member.

I welcome the decision to introduce barrier-free tolling on motorways. This decision should make an enormous difference to the M50 which has been described as the biggest car park in Europe in easing traffic congestion and facilitating smooth traffic flow. The new system to be introduced in 2008 will include a default toll penalty for motorists who fail to pay. However, I foresee considerable logistical and technical difficulties in enabling the huge number of drivers who use the M50 to come to terms with the new system. Will the Minister indicate in detail how the new system will operate successfully, particularly in the context of foreign registered cars, etc?

The Bill contains the word "motorway", a term that has no relevance to the county I represent or the west as a whole. There is not a single motorway in the west and many of the so-called national roads in the region are scarcely worthy of the name. I travel to Dublin on the N5 national primary road which links Westport, Castlebar, Ballina, Swinford and Charlestown to Dublin. There are long stretches of this road which can only be described as a tortuous series of bends and accident black spots, where safe overtaking is impossible and only minor incremental improvements have taken place during the years. The position as regards the N26, the N60, the N59 and parts of the N17 is similar. These roads are narrow and completely substandard, with no fencing on some stretches.

The explanatory memorandum to the Bill refers to the proposal in Transport 21 to construct high quality dual carriageways from Dublin to Limerick, Waterford and the Border. There will be only one such dual carriageway to the west, namely, that to Galway city. Nobody begrudges the upgrading of the road network to these locations. However, one must ask why other counties, particularly Mayo, have been omitted. The roads in County Mayo also need to be upgraded as a matter of urgency. Phase 2 of the N26 needs to proceed immediately. There is a need to carry out works on the roads from Castlebar to Westport and Ballinrobe. Bypasses are required at Kiltimagh, Ballyhaunis and Ballinrobe.

The economic reality is that, from the point of view of manufacturing industry, the major difficulty in attracting investment is the lack of ease of access. Unless manufacturers can transport their products to the market efficiently and quickly, we will be at a major disadvantage.

The Bill includes a proposal to develop service and rest areas on the national road network. I welcome this because these are regular features on motorways in other countries. However, the Bill is vague with regard to when and how these rest areas will become a reality. I presume they will be privately operated. I would like the Minister to indicate exactly how they will be developed.

One of my main priorities as a Member of the House is to fight for much needed and better infrastructure in the county I was elected to represent. There is a major infrastructural deficit in County Mayo, the economic consequences of which are self-evident. Moneys from the European Union intended for the west were siphoned off elsewhere. Between 2000 and 2005, only 74% of the expenditure assigned to new roads in the BMW region was spent. In the same period, 120% was spent in the east and south. We do not begrudge the east or the south their good fortune. However, the west and County Mayo, in particular, are seeking their fair share.

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