Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 164: To ask the Minister for Transport if he has had communication with the Comptroller and Auditor General regarding his preliminary review of the contract between the State and National Toll Roads plc to determine whether a full value for money examination is warranted; his views on whether the deal between the State and this company has been good for the State and the driving public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4777/05]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Comptroller and Auditor General has informed my Department of his intention to commence a preliminary review of the West Link Bridge toll agreement with a view to determining whether a full value for money examination is warranted.

The original agreement was approved in principle by Government in October 1984 and concluded in October 1987. This was a time when the economic outlook was uncertain and funding for infrastructure development was limited. Against this background, the west link bridge agreement funded the provision, upgrading and maintenance of an important part of national transport infrastructure.

Traffic volumes have changed substantially since the agreement was concluded and the bridge opened to traffic. Traffic volumes and growth were substantially lower, both when the agreement was concluded and up to the mid-1990s, to what has transpired since the mid-1990s. These factors should be kept in mind in assessing the agreement today.