asked the Minister for Finance if he has examined the possibility of relating motor taxation to road use and hence to the costs of road maintenance created by individual motorists, by the use of an on-vehicle meter system which would be activated on particularly crowded roads during times of heavy traffic.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Motor Taxation.
10.
On the basis of the information available to me, I consider that the introduction of a motor tax or charging system based on the metered use of roads would not be appropriate in this country.
Could I ask the Minister to indicate why?
Maybe I should ask the Deputy to indicate how it would work in relation to his question.
The Minister had better put down a question to him.
If the Deputy wants me to, I can give to the House the information in the five pages of information on Hong Kong which is the only part of the world that we have knowledge about. In so far as the information I have is concerned that system would not work here and, therefore, would not be considered.
Would the Minister not agree that there are greater costs imposed on the community at large as a result of the use by heavy traffic of certain parts of the city centre where such a system might operate? If the Minister is not prepared to read out the material which he has available to him, could I ask him if he would be so kind as to furnish it to me and perhaps I could ask him a few more questions when I have read it? I will not ask him if he has read it because that might be considered to be a leading question.
I have not read it once but twice.
I am sure the photocopier will accommodate the Minister.
I would have no hesitation in giving the information but I think it would delay the House quite a bit if I read it out now. I will give one figure which deals with the cost of establishing a full electronic pricing scheme in Hong Kong. This is estimated at about £24 million. I should like to point out to the Deputy that the land area of Hong Kong is 1,000 square miles while the land area of the Republic of Ireland is 27,000 square miles. The population of Hong Kong is five million while that of the Republic of Ireland is 3.5 million. The population per square mile of Hong Kong is 4,500 while in Ireland it is 100. I do not see much necessity for what the Deputy is suggesting but I will gladly give him the extensive information I have about Hong Kong.
We would not be operating a system over the entire land area.