Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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87. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on the proposed toll holiday for HGVs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40505/13]

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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91. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on the proposed toll holiday for HGVs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40531/13]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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122. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to provide a toll holiday for HGVs; the motorways and toll roads he will be trialing; if he will consider using the M1 and M3 motorways as part of the toll holiday trial. [40874/13]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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123. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans for a toll holiday for HGVs; if he plans to review toll charges in general for HGV’s with a view to encouraging greater utilisation of motorway networks by HGV's; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40506/13]

Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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135. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on the proposed toll holiday for HGVs. [40871/13]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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629. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on the proposed toll holiday for HGVs and in particular the desired effects it poses for an area (details supplied) in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40510/13]

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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634. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he proposes to lift the HGV toll on the M4 for one month to encourage motorway use in the interest of public safety and avoid damage to the regional roads network. [40671/13]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 87, 91, 122, 123, 135, 629 and 634 together.

These questions relate to a toll free holiday for HGVs. I am concerned that large numbers of HGVs continue to use regional and local roads in order to avoid tolls, and are driving through towns, villages and rural areas with large populations. This has safety implications for other road users, residents and pedestrians. In addition by using local and regional roads instead of custom-built motorways, HGVs are adding to the wear and tear of the legacy roads network. For this reason I asked the National Roads Authority (NRA) to look at the feasibility of lifting tolls for heavy goods vehicles for one month on one or more motorways across the country, as a trial.

Based on the feedback I have received I have decided to go ahead with the toll free month on a number of routes - the M1, M3, M6 and Limerick Tunnel.  By trialling a toll free month on these routes I want to see if HGV operators can be persuaded to use the motorways more.  While there is a cost attached to this I think it is worthwhile to give us an opportunity to study traffic levels in detail and assess the implications and for HGV operators to evaluate the time and efficiency benefits of using these motorways. I have selected the routes for inclusion in the trial with the issue of regular avoidance of parts of the motorway network by heavy goods vehicles very much in mind. The M1 outside Drogheda is a good example, where large numbers of HGVs avoid the toll but have to pass through Slane in order to do so, which is hugely inconvenient to both the truck drivers and local residents. The M3 motorway from Dublin to Kells, the M6 from Ballinasloe to Galway and the Limerick tunnel are also good examples, with large numbers of trucks using the older road nearby to avoid the tolls.

I cannot say at this point that this trial will lead to any change in tolling policy.  While toll rates vary in line with consumer prices, the base rates are built into the PPP financing arrangements that enabled the high quality motorway network to be built. Any change to the financial arrangements would clearly have significant implications and would have to be carefully evaluated.