Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 12: To ask the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport his plans to remove tolls on all roads which are no longer required to be tolled either for recoup of expenditure or under contract with private partners. [33432/11]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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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.

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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It has been reported that there will be increases in tolls in the new year. The Minister mentioned previously the tolling of different parts of the M50. Is that idea dead and buried? It would cause huge problems for people throughout the city, while adding huge volumes of traffic to secondary roads. Are there plans to toll the Jack Lynch tunnel? We should also lower the tolls for use of the Dublin Port tunnel to entice more people to use it. It is too expensive and does not make sense for it to be a white elephant. We must do something about this.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The proposals for additional tolls on the M50, for using the Jack Lynch tunnel and in other places were originally made in the local government efficiency review report last year. No decisions have been made on the matter which is still open to consideration by the Government. As I have said several times, if it was to happen, it would not happen for a number of years and would require EU approval. There would be upsides and downsides to doing this.

The existing tolls on the M50 are needed to pay back the money spent to pay for the bridge. The primary purpose of the Dublin Port tunnel toll is as a control measure. It has been reduced; it is now €3 off-peak and could be further reduced, but the tunnel is for use by HGV traffic from the port. While we would be open to considering a reduction in the toll in order that more people would use the tunnel, anyone who uses it ends up very quickly at the roundabout just before the River Liffey and the last thing we want is for the tunnel to be heavily used in order that traffic backs up into it, which would be unsafe.

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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With the downturn, the number of heavy goods vehicles using the Dublin Port tunnel has lessened significantly. I accept the Minister's statement to the effect that we do not want huge volumes of traffic. However, we do want a reasonable amount of traffic to use it in order that it will be diverted from the main areas.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I am not sure what the Deputy says is entirely true because port traffic has increased as a result of the rise in exports. I will take the matter under advisement. It is an option and I will certainly give it some consideration.