Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The implementation of individual national road schemes, including toll roads, is a matter for the National Roads Authority. In particular, the statutory power to levy tolls on national roads, make toll by-laws and enter into toll agreements with private investors in respect of national roads is vested in the NRA under Part V of the Roads Act 1993, as amended by the Planning and Development Act 2000 and the Roads Act 2007.

The matter to which the Deputy refers does not arise as the privately operated toll schemes are subject to commercial agreements between the NRA and the public private partnership concessionaires concerned. In addition, public tolls are levied on the M50 and the Dublin Port tunnel, with all revenues raised being reinvested in the national road network. The toll revenues generated on the M50 are being used to cover the costs of the M50 phase 2 upgrade and the buy-out of the West Link Toll Bridge. In the case of the Dublin Port tunnel, the primary purpose of the toll is as a traffic and demand management mechanism.

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