Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)

Exactly.

Tolls on the West Link and on many other motorways are causing a major problem. I cannot understand why it has taken so long for this Bill to come before the House to sort out tolls. On the occasions I use the M50, I am held up for 15, 20 or 30 minutes. I do not know how people use the M50 on a daily basis because it is so frustrating for commuters to see the way the situation is handled. The date of August 2008 is welcome but is much later than what is required. This issue has been spoken about for the past five to six years and I know there were problems with National Toll Roads. It is terrible to see commuters having to queue in the morning and evening for perhaps a half an hour or an hour depending on the traffic.

All Ministers for Transport and the Environment have spoken about Transport 21 to the extent that one would think one just had to go into the Department and ask for a bypass. Enniscorthy bypass has been promised for many years. I am glad to say the Gorey bypass has almost been completed. However, the County Wexford villages of Camolin and Ferns and the town of Enniscorthy will face considerable problems once the Gorey bypass is opened in that traffic in those two villages and in Enniscorthy town will be chaotic. I invite the Minister to come to County Wexford to meet representatives, including the county manager, members of the chambers of commerce, etc., to try to iron out and speed up the process of completing the Enniscorthy bypass as soon as possible because things are proceeding at a snail's pace at present. The New Ross bypass is well ahead of the Enniscorthy one and I ask the Minister to use Transport 21 and his powers in this regard.

As Deputy Mitchell said, it is terrible one cannot get answers from the Minister in regard to the National Roads Authority. When one asks a Minister for Transport a question about the National Roads Authority, one is told the Minister has no responsibility and that one must go directly to the authority. It is not very fair for an elected represented to be given such an answer. Although many promises have been made in the past, I would like Enniscorthy, Ferns and Camolin bypassed as soon as possible.

Sections 9 and 10 refer to service areas. I would like the Department of Transport to work closely with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the planning departments in the county councils. There will be major problems when planning is sought from the county councils for these service areas which are badly needed. The Wexford group of the Irish Road Haulage Association raised this issue with me when I was out canvassing during the general election. Once the stretch of bypass from Jack White's pub to beyond Gorey is completed, there will be no service station. One will have travel almost to the Sugar Loaf Mountain before one will find a petrol station or a service area at which to stop. That will be a major problem.

We talk about road safety, taking cars off the road and about people getting proper rest. People will not drive two or three miles off a bypass to a service station to take a rest but will continue on as long as they can. That is when some of these serious accidents with lorries and heavy vehicles occur. One sees tachographs and gardaí tackling drivers. In my local newspaper on a weekly basis, one reads about road hauliers being summoned and brought to court because they have not kept to the correct driving hours. Will the Minister speak to the local authorities to get their views on service areas? As Deputy McEntee said, we are lagging way behind our European counterparts in regard to service areas. When one goes to England, one sees these service areas every 70 to 100 km. Restrooms, retail outlets and restaurants are vitally important. I have spoken about service areas for the past while because they are of the utmost importance. Will the Minister look at how our EU counterparts operate in this regard?

I welcome this very broad Bill and would like to see it pass through the House without any major delay. I have no doubt the Minister will not face any delays from this side of the House. We face into the summer recess and I would like the Bill to be brought back to the House as soon as possible when we return in September.

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