Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

Transport in all its forms is central to the economy, the environment and the cultural and social well-being of our country in the 21st century and roads will be central to satisfying the nation's transport needs for the foreseeable future.

The relationship between Irish people and their cars is very close, particularly in rural Ireland and an irrational belief exists that makes public transport the poor relation in transport choice. It would not be unusual to see senior executives of major companies taking the train to work in London, New York, or Tokyo but such instances are unfortunately rare in this country. It would be interesting to survey Members of this House to ascertain how many of those who could avail of public transport do so. Hopefully the huge investment in transport provided for in Transport 21, which is being rolled out, will greatly enhance public opinion towards and the attraction of public transport.

Important work on the rail network continues and hopefully we will deliver a world class rail service in the coming years. In the meantime we must ensure our road network is sufficient to cater for the increased number of vehicles using the nation's thoroughfares. The provisions of this Bill will allow for the implementation of free flow, open road tolling. There is no doubt that toll gates, particularly on the M50, contribute on a daily basis to traffic gridlock. However, tolling is but one factor contributing to this problem and the upgrading of junctions and the widening of the motorway will help in bringing about a resolution to the problem.

The previous Minister had targeted August 2008 for the introduction of barrier free tolling and I sincerely hope this date can be met in order to alleviate the frustration experienced by so many people daily. For this reason the co-operation of Members on all sides of the House is welcome.

The Bill also allows for the upgrading of certain dual carriageway roads to motorway status. This is a most welcome provision, as in many cases one cannot tell the difference between a motorway and a dual carriageway. This is particularly evident on the Naas Road, where it meets the N7 Motorway. To the layman there appears to be no clear difference between the two, yet different speed limits exist on the two stretches of roadway which makes no sense at all. We need consistency in road categorisation and this Bill will hopefully bring improvements in the area. I am aware that there are similar anomalies in road descriptions elsewhere, for example at Watergrasshill outside Cork City and on the N11 — M50 intersection.

County Kildare is at the hub of much national traffic travelling to and from Dublin and this includes both traffic from within the county and traffic crossing County Kildare to get to and from the capital. To this extent most or all of the measures included in the Bill will have a direct effect on the people of County Kildare. The upgrade of the M50 will hopefully reduce commuting times for the many people who have to use it daily.

The measures included in the Bill are a much needed step forward in the overall delivery of a transport system that will benefit communities throughout the commuter belt, which is constantly growing.

In 2007 Kildare County Council will spend €117.5 million on its road network. Of this some €86 million will be spent on national roads with the remainder spent on county roads within its jurisdiction. I acknowledge the huge increases in funding made available to Kildare and other counties in recent years that have enabled local authorities go some way to bridging the infrastructure gap.

In my county, where major national projects have been completed and inter-city routes are well advanced, the Government and National Roads Authority should examine towns that have grown greatly and are experiencing traffic difficulties. In Newbridge a new bridge and outer relief road are required. The Minister will recall visiting Athy in 1996 when he was Opposition spokesman and at that stage there was a campaign for an outer relief road for the town. That project is only beginning now. As major national projects are delivered more funding must be directed towards local authorities to help them achieve improvements in log-jammed local towns.

The roll-out of the national roads programme is an absolute necessity for this country because we are only playing catch-up with the rest of Europe. Hopefully this phase of the roads programme will be completed in the next few years allowing for greater emphasis to be placed on the removal of traffic congestion in urban areas. This, coupled with the increase in spending on mainline and commuter rail services, will give us an integrated transport package that will benefit this country socially and economically for generations to come.

A number of Members have made reference to the elements in this Bill addressing the need for rest and service areas along the major roads that have been constructed. While these facilities will be universally welcomed it should be recognised that the NRA has not addressed these matters clearly in the past and has not employed joined-up thinking with local authorities. I am conscious, as the Minister and NRA bring forward new provisions, that account must be taken of factors existing on some of the relevant routes. Many service providers have given a high quality service on these routes for some years.

In my constituency Kildare County Council recently granted a material contravention for a motorway service area to be delivered on the Mayfield interchange on the N7, just north of Monasterevin. Whatever plans the NRA has for such facilities nationwide, it must engage with those who have traditionally provided services in these areas and who wish to continue to do so.

There was a high quality provider of motorway services on the old N9 in Kildare before it was realigned at the end of the last decade. The service provider had to move to the new road but now the N9 motorway exists about 150 yards away and will provide no access to the services that are in place. If it is unsustainable for a homeowner in a rural area to seek to build another house it is unsustainable for the National Roads Authority to ignore an established motorway service area in a district in favour of the construction of yet another motorway service area in the region. I ask the Minister to address these issues and ensure the National Roads Authority takes local circumstances into consideration. I congratulate the Minister, his predecessor and everyone involved in introducing this positive and constructive legislation.

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