Written answers

Wednesday, 3 June 2020

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

Road Tolls

Photo of Johnny GuirkeJohnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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969. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will consider a waiver on toll road charges on the M3 until the end of 2020 as a support to businesses in the north midlands reliant on road transport for recovery of their trading position and also as a relief to the many employees that will be using this route to commute to their employment in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9420/20]

Photo of Shane RossShane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme.  Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015, the operation and management of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. More specifically, the statutory power to levy tolls, to make toll bye-laws and to enter into agreements with private investors are vested in TII under Part V of the Roads Act 1993 (as amended).

Regarding exempting motorists from paying motorway tolls until the end of 2020 there have been very few examples where this has been implemented in Europe to date. I am aware of toll free operations in the Mersey Tunnel, Liverpool and for a limited time period at the Ringsend Toll Bridge, Dublin. Providing toll exemptions are not widely employed due to the critical role toll revenues play in funding the construction, operation and maintenance of the national primary and secondary road network. Introducing a temporary toll free period on the M3 would require TII, and in turn the Exchequer, to reimburse the PPP concessionaire for loss of toll revenue. As such, I do not believe that a toll exemption on the M3 would be appropriate.  

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