Michael Kitt (Fianna Fail)

I welcome what the Minister of State said about the new rates of motor tax, the schedule for taxation classes and the motor tax rates for vintage vehicles. The new rates took effect from 1 January 2004. Senator Bannon raised the relevant issue of public transport. I take the opportunity to raise the issue of the rail network. Fr. Micheál MacGréil, former Deputy and Senator, Martin O'Toole, and I have been on a committee for the past 20 years which is trying to get funding for the Collooney-Claremorris railway line, which is really the Sligo-Limerick railway line. I am glad the Minister for Transport, Deputy Brennan, some weeks ago travelled from Tubercurry to Tuam, visiting the railway stations along that line. For a third of the cost of a national primary route, that railway line could be in operation. The Government should at this stage be able to have the section operable from Tuam to Athenry and Galway. It is clearly a commuter area considering the huge traffic jams on the N17 between Tuam and Galway. In fact, the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Ó Cuív, referred to surveys which suggest there are more traffic jams on that stretch of road than at any hold-up at Enfield, Moate or Kinnegad. A significant amount of money is being spent on roads which could be spent on railways.

I am glad the Minister said that funding would be ring-fenced by the Department for this purpose. I also welcome what he said in regard to the national development plan. Some €2.43 billion has been allocated for the non-national road network for the period 2000 to 2006. It is interesting that €1.08 billion is scheduled for the Border, midlands and west region and €1.35 million for the south and east. The BMW region should get more. The Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Noel Ahern, told the Dáil that funding for non-national roads is allocated on the basis of population. However, the situation in the BMW region must be considered in order that extra funding can be obtained, as it is important for the future prosperity and improved social life of the region. I would like to hear the Minister's views in this regard because, as a former representative for Connacht-Ulster, he has pushed hard on behalf of the region.

The increase this year of €34 million in the take from motor tax will provide for improvements to the roads network, and I hope that continues. I am particularly pleased to hear the Minister's remarks on the restoration programme, which accounts for approximately half of State grants for non-national roads each year. Funding is needed in this area. Since 1996, more than €1 billion has been allocated to county councils under the ten year restoration programme and approximately 32,000 kilometres of non-national roads will be improved by the end of this year. In addition, €320 million has been allocated to county councils for maintenance work under the programme since 1996.

The pavement studies to which the Minister referred are also important. A pavement study in 1996 identified that 47,000 kilometres of the non-national roads network was deficient. Extra funding was allocated for this, and the award of the contract to RPS-MCOS Limited for the carrying out of the second pavement conditions study was important. The study is part of the Government commitment to restore the network of regional and county roads to a satisfactory condition in the period 1996 to 2005. Nonetheless, we do not want to waste too much time on studies. We must ensure that funding is available, in particular for the BMW region.

I am glad the Department has in recent years provided discretionary general purpose and other grants. There is a developing forestry industry in my constituency and funding has been obtained in recent years for forestry roads and tourism roads, particularly in west County Galway but also in the east of the county where there are lakes and rivers.