Results 3,441-3,460 of 26,228 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motorway Toll Charges: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (29 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: It is within the remit of TII on the M50 and the Dublin Port Tunnel. On the M50, the TII has taken the same CPI increase.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motorway Toll Charges: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (29 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Did the TII have discretion not to take that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motorway Toll Charges: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (29 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: In the current environment, particularly with the M50 and the level of traffic using it, did it not occur to TII that what was being imposed was severe, that it had discretion in this area and that it did not have to bring in the increase?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motorway Toll Charges: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (29 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Is the witness saying that the increase in the toll was used as a mechanism to reduce the number of cars using the M50?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motorway Toll Charges: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (29 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Has that always been the policy?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motorway Toll Charges: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (29 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: What about people with cars or haulage companies that need to use the M50? They do not have the option to use public transport or cycle. They have to use it. How can the increase be justified on the basis that TII is using it to reduce the level of traffic on the M50? I find that hard to credit.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motorway Toll Charges: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (29 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: How long has the pricing mechanism been a policy of TII to reduce the traffic?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motorway Toll Charges: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (29 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: It was not laid down in the granting of planning that TII would use the cost of tolling as a traffic reduction mechanism.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motorway Toll Charges: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (29 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: On mature recollection, was it the appropriate decision? In terms of the outcry among the users of the M50 who do so for necessity, not for luxury, do the witnesses now accept that TII has discretion not to increase the toll? I ask the witnesses to reflect on that and recommend withholding of the increase to their board.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motorway Toll Charges: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (29 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: However, that deferral is only until the end of June next year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motorway Toll Charges: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (29 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: There is a further six months thereafter in 2023.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motorway Toll Charges: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (29 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I understand there is no VAT charged on toll charges on the M50.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motorway Toll Charges: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (29 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: There is €180 million coming into TII and the tunnel is bringing in €20 million. For the PPPs, which account for €10 million, there is VAT charged at 23%. Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motorway Toll Charges: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (29 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Is it the case that the PPP toll charges are inclusive of VAT at 23%?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motorway Toll Charges: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (29 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: We are asking that a decision be made to defer the toll increase for another six months beyond the end of June and that it be made within the next ten days. The decision should certainly be made before 15 December; preferably it should be done by the previous Friday, 9 December. Is Mr. Walsh saying that if there is a further deferral, any shortfall will have to come from the State by way of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motorway Toll Charges: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (29 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Mr. Walsh will appreciate that if inflation were very low, there would be no increase in the M50 charges.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motorway Toll Charges: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (29 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I have two further points to make. First, the committee asks that TII expedite its engagement with the PPP providers and the Department of Transport in order to arrive at absolute clarity on this issue over the next ten days. Drifting into the week ending 17 December, which is the last sitting day of the Dáil, is far too late. Second, we will come back to the issue of TII's funding...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motorway Toll Charges: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (29 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I appreciate that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motorway Toll Charges: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (29 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I accept all of that. However, we are in the countdown to Christmas and there is a need to bring absolute clarity to the matter. We thank Mr. Walsh for TII's very quick engagement with the PPP providers. There was talk of a decision being made on 15, 16 or 17 December. That is too late. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform needs to be aware of the full cost implications. From...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motorway Toll Charges: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (29 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: We politicians are nocturnal creatures. We only-----