Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 47: To ask the Minister for Transport his plans to proceed with a strategy to place new road toll collection points on motorway and national road infrastructure in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42991/10]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The local government efficiency review group recommended the introduction of new tolling schemes on national roads, both new and existing, based on an equitable distribution of tolling points across the national network, with a proportion of revenue being used to invest in local and regional roads. The infrastructure investment priorities document for 2010 to 2016 also refers to the introduction of further tolling on national roads and recommends that additional income generated through tolling should be retained by the National Roads Authority, NRA, to help fund ongoing road investment. In light of these recommendations, the NRA was asked to examine options for a new tolling strategy. I have just received a report from the NRA on options for a future tolling strategy, which I am now considering. At this point, however, no decisions have been made on additional tolling on specific national roads.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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That is convenient. There is a great deal of concern that additional tolls will be placed on our motorway infrastructure and it would be helpful if the Minister clarified whether he intends to use additional tolling to raise revenue, whether that be for infrastructure or for the Exchequer. There is potential for a huge waste of money because he has asked the NRA to put considerable work into designing tolls, for example, on the Jack Lynch Tunnel adjacent to my own constituency. What is the Minister's thought process in this regard? Does he plan to introduce additional tolls on motorways that have been paid for, or are being paid for, by existing tolls to raise additional revenue for his Department or the NRA? Is that likely to be a feature of the upcoming budget?

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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All I can do is repeat the answer I gave the Deputy. The suggestion was made by the local government efficiency review group. It was mentioned in the capital programme 2010-16. In light of those recommendations, the NRA was asked to examine the options for a new tolling strategy. The authority has completed a report, which I received at the back end of last week. I will have a look at the report and, on foot of that, a decision will be made on whether we will go ahead with tolls, whether they are necessary and what design might be used, if we proceed. There are conflicting recommendations in the two reports. One says some of the money should be available to fund local authorities while the other says the money should stay with the NRA. We do not, and will not, have the same funding available for maintenance or repair of roads as we had over the past decade. That is why this is being considered. When one gets such reports, one must consider the pros and cons. When they are discussed and decided by the Government, I will bring the news to the House.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister consider whether it makes sense to charge people and, in doing so, discourage them from using the safest, quickest, most direct infrastructure on which we have spent a fortune constructing, thereby increasing traffic on secondary roads and sending it back into towns and villages, which is contrary to the motorway strategy in place? If he is considering introducing new measures, whether they be levies, tolls or taxes, to raise additional revenue from transport, there are more straightforward and effective ways of doing so to ensure we can afford to pay for the infrastructure that will be required over the next number of years.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I am more than wiling to listen to suggestions the Deputy has about more effective ways to raise finance and so on. There are two sides to this argument. It can be argued on the one hand that the most effective way to ensure sufficient funds for the maintenance and upkeep of roads is to ask those who use the roads to pay for them rather than asking the taxpayer to do so.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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This is not about maintenance but the building of new roads.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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There is not much evidence to suggest people have significant difficulty in paying for the convenience of top quality roads and diversion rates are quite small for current toll roads. Tolling or congestion charges can also be used in urban areas to enhance the environment and health benefits for people in certain areas. There are pluses and minuses. Tolls can be an expensive way to raise finances and put infrastructure in place.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I can understand the rationale of a congestion charge.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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That is a separate issue.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The issue surrounding the tolling of bypasses, tunnels and major infrastructure is that the opposite effect will be achieved, with traffic being diverted into towns and villages. That is the point. If tolls are to be in the form of congestion charges, people should be encouraged on to motorway infrastructure, which makes much more sense.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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We are not talking about any structure currently because we have not finalised any decisions regarding tolls. There are pros and cons.