Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 63: To ask the Minister for Transport his policy in relation to the need for rest stops for fuel, refreshment or otherwise on the motorway from Dublin to Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26762/10]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme element of Transport 21. The implementation of individual national road projects, including service areas, is a matter for the National Roads Authority (NRA) under the Roads Act, 1993 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Section 54 of the Roads Act 1993 specifically provides for the NRA or a local authority to provide and/or operate service areas.

In 2005, the then Minister for Transport asked the NRA to review its policy of generally not providing service areas on national roads, particularly on the expanding network of access-controlled motorways and dual carriageways. Arising from this review, the NRA developed a programme for the provision of up to 12 service areas on the major interurban routes (MIUs) as well as the N6/N18 junction and the N11 route at intervals of approx 50-60 kms. Two documents relating to the NRA's policy on the provision of service areas are available on their website at www.nra.ie. The documents are "Policy for the Provision of Service Areas on Motorways and High Quality Dual Carriageways", published in October, 2007, and "Service Areas on National Roads: NRA Policy and Status Update", published in February, 2010.

Last year the NRA signed a contract under a PPP programme for the construction and maintenance of the first three service areas (two on the M1 and one on the M4). Work has commenced on these and they are due to open later this year. A further service area at Gorey on the M11 will be constructed as part of the N11 Rathnew/Arklow and N7 Newlands Cross Junction Improvement Schemes (a combined PPP Project). Work on this PPP is due to commence in late 2010/early 2011. The NRA proposals for other service areas across the network are progressing through the planning process. However, the construction of these service areas is heavily dependent on the availability of funds and the prioritisation of projects within a reduced capital budget. In the light of this, I have indicated to the NRA that they should consider other options to finance the provision of service areas which do not require Exchequer funding.