James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)

The Ceann Comhairle is having a good week. I welcome the Minister to the House and wish him well with his new portfolio. Under his remit, I hope the midlands area will not be left out as it has been in the past. We were disappointed with the raw deal the region got under Transport 21 and the national spatial strategy. Under the latter plan, Longford town and the county at large did not receive hub or gateway status, which prompted annoyance and concern in the midlands. I hope there will be a review of the national spatial strategy in the not too distant future.

The two-hour cutback in debating time for this Bill is totally unacceptable and constitutes another example of the disregard and contempt with which the Government treats this House. We have seen the consequences of rushed legislation, which provides bad law at the end of the day. We have repeatedly seen supplementary amending legislation to deal with shortfalls and inadequacies in earlier Bills.

I support this Bill in principle but would certainly not endorse the Minister's contention that it was universally well received in the Upper House. The necessity for such legislation is not in doubt but there are areas of concern such as the delay in bringing this Bill before the House. It amounts to a U-turn by the Government. This issue has been in the public domain for some time and I am glad the Government is taking action, albeit belatedly.

Not so long ago, the Government denied that the State's contract with National Toll Roads would be ended and that the company would be bought out. The change of heart has come too late for motorists who have suffered years of intolerable congestion on the M50. The Government turned a blind eye to these problems for over a decade, denying that the toll barrier caused massive tailbacks. To anyone flying overhead, this situation would probably appear as the largest car park in the world.

The extraordinary loophole in the Bill, which will allow foreign registered cars and trucks to travel toll free, is neither acceptable nor realistic. It is already intolerable that foreign drivers can escape the imposition of penalty points. Approximately one in five drivers committing penalty point offences do not have Irish driving licences, while Irish motorists and pedestrians suffer the consequences of these actions.

Sections 9 and 10 are of particular interest to me. They concern a number of amendments to the Roads Act 1993 to facilitate the provision of service and rest areas on the national road network. Recent reports have highlighted tiredness as a major cause of accidents so increasing the number of lay-bys and rest areas could go a long way towards reducing road fatalities. Little progress was made in this regard under the previous Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats Administration. According to the road safety performance index, published last month by the European Transport Safety Council, Ireland has one of the worst road safety records among the EU's 27 member states. An extensive investigation by the National Roads Authority identified up to 12 locations for on-line services, in addition to 11 rest areas on major inter-urban routes, including the M1, M4, N6, N7, N8, N9, N11 and N18. As the Roads Act 1993 does not give the NRA explicit powers to provide rest and service areas on the existing motorway and dual-carriageway networks, I fully support the Bill's provisions to do so. They are most welcome and have been demanded by motorists for many years. I am glad the Government has seen fit to facilitate them.

The NRA intends to provide service areas which will offer a full range of services at intervals of approximately 50 km to 60 km and rest areas, including parking and sanitary facilities, at intervals of approximately 25 km to 30 km. It is proposed that these facilities will be located on-line and at or close to existing interchanges.

I have repeatedly highlighted the urgent need to extend the M4 from Kinnegad to Mullingar, Longford and on to the north west. I am seeking a commitment on the extension of this essential motorway to Mullingar, Longford and on to Sligo. This important infrastructure is essential for the economic development of the midlands, including County Longford. Longford is in a key position in the centre of the country. There is an interchange with the N55, which runs north-south, and for years I have called on the Government to upgrade this arterial route. Such an improvement would divert much traffic away from the east coast through the midlands, with consequential benefits for the midlands region. The proposal should be examined more seriously by the Government.

Despite being one of the smallest counties, Longford offers a unique central location, equidistant from the east and west coasts, with easy access to Dublin. These are important considerations for any business development. Longford town is already the largest urban centre in the north midlands, as well as being a major financial and retail location.

I would appreciate it if the Minister would address the issue of road signage on the M4. Towns such as Longford and Mullingar are not indicated on this road and are repeatedly overlooked when road signage is upgraded on main routes. Drivers who are trying to access the midlands from the motorway do not know if they are on the right route. The Minister should discuss with the NRA the issue of improving signage for such midland towns. It is important this is addressed urgently.

There is a serious problem at the point one leaves the motorway in Kinnegad because the roundabouts are not large enough to take heavy trucks. Some drivers of heavy trucks do not wish to pay the toll for using the motorway and instead travel the old route. Once you leave the motorway at Kinnegad the road is a mud bath and was not constructed to facilitate heavy trucks. I would appreciate it if this matter could be examined by the Minister.

People from the midlands face problems accessing Dublin Airport because within 10 km of the facility they may have to pay two tolls. These tolls are unfair because they raise the cost of travelling to the airport for motorists and users of taxis must also pay because of Government policy. This could be addressed by the Minister.

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