Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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208. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the number of tolls on roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4392/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have overall responsibility for  policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The implementation of individual national road schemes which provide for tolling, is a matter for the National Roads Authority (NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993-2007.  Moreover, the statutory power to levy tolls on national roads, to make toll bye-laws and to enter into toll agreements with private investors in respect of national roads is very specifically vested in the NRA under Part V of the Roads Act, 1993 (as amended).

The maximum tolls for each toll year are set in accordance with the toll bye-laws made by the NRA under Section 61 of the Roads Act. Aside from the annual adjustments made in accordance with the bye-laws, there are currently no proposals to vary tolls on national roads.  While toll rates are adjusted annually 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.