Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State and officials back to the House, just as I welcomed the Minister, who was present earlier. The Taoiseach is on record as having said that the solution to our congestion on the M50, according to traffic engineers, is the implementation of the M50 upgrade together with barrier-free tolling. I confess I am not very familiar with the toll bridge and use it only ten or 12 times per year on my way to Kilkenny. On the basis of research I have conducted and having spoken to various experts, including my colleague, Senator Dooley, I agree with the statement of the Taoiseach. There is an onus on the Government, the National Roads Authority and NTR to work together to increase the speed of access to the M50 bridges.

In 2003 the capacity of the bridge was increased by 50% as two extra lanes and an extra bridge were provided. As the Minister and a number of colleagues have stated, modern technology is such that there is no reason we cannot have barrier-free tolling. We must all put our heads together to achieve it as quickly as possible.

Most modern countries charge tolls for the use of major highways. Most of us have been to the United States where motorists are tolled on almost every road. The same is the case on the Continent and, as I can testify, in communist China.