Sheila Terry (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister. I do not intend to rubbish NTR and I agree with Senator Dooley that it was a good provider of infrastructure at a time when the country could not afford it. It is doing a good job in so far as is possible. However, we must consider the environment in which it works. It is not NTR's fault that the current situation exists. Problems relating to planning and the delivery of infrastructure have led to this situation and to the need for Senator Ross to table this motion, which I support.

Problems with gridlock are of the Government's making. The Government parties have been in power long enough to improve the relevant infrastructure. I live within a stone's throw of the M50, so I know what happens on it on a daily basis and am aware of its impact on local communities. The M50 was very aspirational for its time in that it was to be a European route and not a local road. Now, however, it is a local road serving local needs. It was never built for that purpose. We have known for many years that this is the case and that an outer ring road is needed. In the absence of that ring road, there is traffic congestion — and not just at peak times — each day on the M50. The barriers must be lifted to keep traffic flowing, even if it is only moving at 10 mph or 20 mph. There is no need for speed limits because one can never reach the maximum limit in the vicinity of the toll bridge.

This situation will not improve until we get proper infrastructure in the area. This is where the Government is at fault. In the absence of the infrastructure to which I refer, the Minister must do whatever is necessary to keep traffic flowing — even if it is at 15 or 20 mph. There is no doubt that the toll bridge is delaying traffic. While one can travel from the airport to Finglas at 50 mph, the traffic is queued up from Finglas onwards trying to get through the toll bridge. Once one is through the toll bridge, one can travel at a reasonable speed once again. It would help clear the clogging if the toll bridge was open to traffic. Conor Faughnan of the AA has spoken about this issue for years and supports the idea of opening the gates to traffic.

If the Government parties' amendment had included the provision of the outer ring road, I would have seen some credibility in what is proposed tonight. However, what is proposed does nothing to further the cause of trying to build a proper infrastructure in the area. When the M50 was first built, rat-running occurred on all local roads. Motorists did not want to pay the charge and tried to avoid doing so by using other roads. Senator Morrissey will be aware of this. Motorists still use the local roads, not to avoid paying the toll but to avoid congestion on the M50.

It is time we took the planning and delivery of our infrastructure seriously. The number of cars currently on our roads is unsustainable. The widening of the M50 will result in an increased number of cars into the area and impose intolerable pain on motorists and the local community. Will the Minister indicate when he will provide for the new outer ring road to relieve congestion? If we fail to address the problems of the M50 and the general infrastructure in the area, we will not be able to continue the economic growth of recent years and the economy will suffer. People will not want to locate in Ireland, particularly as they will be constantly stuck in traffic.

We are not dealing with the issue of removing motorists from our roads. I agree with Senator Ross that we need park and ride facilities. We have requested these for many years but one such facility has yet to be delivered. People should be able to park their car, pay for the privilege and be transported into the city by bus. That should not just be for those coming from the outer suburbs but also those on the orbital route. We should have more buses on that route. I also support the concept of putting in place a rail line.

I fully support what Senator Ross is saying. Senator Morrissey, local people and I have been saying it for many years. However, our words have fallen on deaf ears. It is time the Government woke up to the fact that it can no longer continue in this mode.

While I accept that it was a different time, NTR has done very well out of the deal and it recognises that fact. I call on NTR, in accepting that it has had a good deal, to hand responsibility for the tolls back to the State. I am not suggesting the company should hand it back free of charge. However, the money that would be saved in getting our traffic moving would be worth it for the economy. It would be a small price to pay. A figure of €400 million has been mentioned. Will the Minister indicate how much he estimates it would cost to buy back the tolls? It would be money well spent if it helped to keep the economy moving. Senator Dooley disagrees. He does not feel the pain motorists have to endure on that road every day.