Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 265: To ask the Minister for Transport the cost of buying out the West Link toll bridge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28793/08]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 277: To ask the Minister for Transport the cost of the Government buy-back of West Link toll bridge on the M50; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29051/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 265 and 277 together.

As Minister for Transport I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme element of Transport 21. As the Deputy is aware, the implementation of individual national road projects, including the M50, is a matter for the National Roads Authority (NRA) under the Roads Act, 1993 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Under Section 19 of the Act, the allocation of monies in relation to the construction or maintenance of national road projects is a matter for the NRA.

In addition, issues relating to tolls on national roads are in the first instance a matter for the NRA. The statutory power to levy tolls on national roads, to make toll by-laws and to enter into toll agreements with private investors in respect of national roads is vested in the NRA under Part V of the Roads Act, 1993 (as amended by the Planning and Development Act 2000 and the Roads Act 2007).

In relation to the buy out of the M50 West Link concession, the cost of compensating NTR was a matter for determination between the NRA and NTR in line with the 1987 West-Link Agreement. Under the agreement reached between NTR and the NRA, NTR is to receive annual payments of €50 million, plus Consumer Price Index, for each of the years 2008-2020, in other words, a sum in the order of €600 million. (Partial year payments will apply in both 2008 and 2020 reflecting the date the NRA takeover operations in 2008 and also in 2020 reflecting the expiry date of the existing NTR concession contract).