Michael Fitzpatrick (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

The Government is embarking on the largest and most ambitious investment in our national infrastructure. Under Transport 21, €10 million will be invested every day for ten years. This €34 billion investment is transforming infrastructure with an investment of €18 billion in the road-building programme and €16 billion in public transport.

From 1997 to 2006, 191 km of new motorway and 479 km of new dual and single carriageways were built. Of this, 100 km were completed in 2006. In 2007, €1.5 billion will be invested in the national road network with a total of 673 projects. Spending on non-national roads at €607 million in 2007 means that over €2.1 billion a year will be invested in new and improved roads. This amounts to €178 million a month.

There has been criticism from some quarters that it is taking too long to build up the transport infrastructure. No Government has ever built on the scale of the Fianna Fáil-led Government. While some projects have come in behind schedule, others are ahead of schedule. A combination of several significant initiatives is delivering major road projects faster, in budget and, in most cases, ahead of schedule. These initiatives include securing agreement on multiannual investment plans that guarantee State investment, greater efficiencies in construction, a competitive edge introduced by the involvement of international consortia and the development of a dedicated skills base in construction firms. The steady pace at which projects are going through the planning process means there will be a reserve of projects that can be quickly elevated to the tender and construction stage. Increasingly, the trend is towards the completion of major stretches of motorway and dual carriageways ahead of schedule.

The Roads Bill is predominantly concerned with the introduction of barrier-free tolling on the M50. Many Dubliners and constituents in Kildare North are too familiar with traffic problems on the M50. The population of Kildare has risen by over 23,000 people since 2002. This large rise in population, in addition to a dramatic increase in the number of cars on roads, has meant commuting to Dublin takes its toll on many young working families. The introduction of barrier-free tolling will ease journey times for many people.

The move to barrier-free tolling on the M50 is the most modern way of dealing with large volumes of traffic. The upgrading of the M50 from two to three lanes is also vital and will allow the motorway deal with 50% more traffic, as well as alleviating congestion in and around Dublin and on the N3, N4 and N7.

While the cost of the buy-out has been the subject of criticism, a contract was in place with NTR until 2020. The buy-out means that, on behalf of the taxpayer, the Government will ensure NTR does not get the benefit of the €1 billion investment on the M50 which will see its capacity increase by 50%.

The road-building programme is eliminating bottlenecks, alleviating congestion, reducing journey times and increasing road safety. In County Kildare, examples include the Naas Road upgrade and the Monasterevin, Kildare and Kinnegad bypasses. Next year work will begin on the Carlow bypass, providing more benefits to County Kildare. A modern efficient road network is vital for our continued prosperity. Transport 21 and the development of a high quality road infrastructure will support competitiveness, create jobs and facilitate regional development. It will also lead to better road safety. I congratulate Kildare County Council for its recent approval of material contravention for a service area on the M7 at Monasterevin.

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