Brendan Ryan (Labour)

The Minister in his script mentions penalties if the criteria are not met. It would be lovely to know what the criteria will be for future tolls. Will it be a five minute, ten minute or 20 minute delay? What we do know is that in the famous all-Ireland final in which there were two Ulster counties, there was a queue of traffic endeavouring to come on to the new motorway at the Drogheda bypass so long that the gardaí had to instruct NTR, who were doing the job at the time, to raise the barriers to let the traffic through in the interests of public safety.

If there are performance criteria, what are they and are they substantial in nature? The very least that should come out of this debacle is a certainty in the future that tolls will be operated efficiently, fairly and at levels which do not function as a disincentive for the use of modern motorways. I will be satisfied if the funds are then used to build more good roads.

I agree with the Minister of State in his throwaway remarks about public transport. Again, however, there is action that can be taken now, not so much in Dublin but in Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford and other areas. Such action would require that all development plans for the next ten years incorporate at least land allocation for off-road public transport, even if it is not to be built for 20 years. If we must retrofit to every one of our other cities a Luas system or other type of off-road public transport, with the enormous associated cost of property acquisition and land and construction costs, we will have a Dublin-type situation in every major city within 20 years. We should instead make proper provision and plan for the future.

I support the motion. It is long overdue that the question of this abuse of monopoly should be dealt with by the Oireachtas.