Tom Morrissey (Progressive Democrats)

It is up to motorists to make the choice. Up to 800 cars per hour can go through the Eazy Pass booth, while only some 400 can move through the manual system and 600 under the pay system.

There are actions that can be taken, therefore, to alleviate the current difficulties. The Minister of State has indicated the significant cost of upgrading the M50, involving money that will be forgone forever. It is a simple matter of supply and demand. Removing the toll will advertise to every motorist that there is a free gig at the West Link bridge and this will cause further congestion. The toll plaza can accommodate more cars per hour than the road can deliver.

I acknowledge that difficulties exist but there are ways to overcome them. I have said repeatedly that we are suffering from 2016 levels of traffic, with 2005 levels of expenditure. In regard to the ten-year programme, I am not sure we can wait that long. By improving our rail system, we will give motorists who use the N7 and N3 a choice. New proposals for an outer ring road beg the question as to what is the objective of such a facility. The Minister of State has said it is not an alternative to the M50. Will it be tolled, thus leading to the existence of two tolls on the west side of Dublin?

We must consider the short-term solutions. A link can be expedited from the N3 at Clonee across to Lucan. Only last week, Fingal County Council informed councillor Mags Murray that it had no plans to do so. This project was removed from the agenda in 1999 with the support of Senator Terry. Five years later, Fine Gael and the Labour Party were in control of the council. Not one motion was tabled at a meeting of the council to offer an alternative to the people to whom those parties refer. National Toll Roads Ireland is not only a monopoly but it is a monopoly compliments of politicians' actions, for which they should be brought to account.