Vol. 407 No. 9
48 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment the reason his Department advertised for tenders for the tolling of the Dublin western ring motorway; the total cost to the State of tendering and erecting toll booths; if the successful tenderer has been informed that Dublin County Council do not intend to toll this road; if it is his intention to have the western ring tolled; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The invitation of proposals for the toll franchise on the Dublin ring road was in accordance with the policy of successive Governments since 1979 to seek toll financed private investment to supplement direct State funding of the road development programme.
The cost of inviting proposals for the toll franchise for the ring road was approximately £4,500. To date approximately £2.3 million has been certified and paid in respect of works to facilitate tolling, which did not include the provision of toll booths.
The chosen consortium is aware of the resolution passed by Dublin County Council on 5 October 1990 in relation to tolling of the ring road.
Under existing law, a decision on tolling the Dublin ring road is a matter for Dublin County Council, subject to my approval. I wrote to Dublin County Council in January 1991 in response to their resolution of 5 October and am awaiting a reply to that letter.
