asked the Minister for the Environment if he agrees with the recent NESC report to the effect that the strongest economic arguments for road improvement are based on the needs of passenger traffic rather than freight; and if any alteration in the relative priority of different roads is called for on the basis of this conclusion.
Written Answers. - Road Development.
29.
While the Government are in agreement with the basic thrust of the NESC report, we do not necessarily agree with each hypothesis advanced on every conclusion reached. In particular, I do not accept the overall balance of the comments made in the report relating to investment in roads in the context of developing Ireland's infrastructure. My views regarding the need for road development and the priority to be accorded to the different roads are set out in the operational programme for road development which was submitted to the EC Commission in March 1989. The National Development Plan highlights the generally accepted fact that the major infrastructural deficiency in Ireland relates to the internal transport network, particularly roads. Transport costs for Irish exporters to Europe are approximately twice those incurred by Community countries trading with one another on the European mainland, due mainly to the deficient state of national roads and access roads to the principal ports and airports.
Regarding the specific point made by the Deputy, the case made by the NESC for basing the economic argument for road improvements on the needs of passenger rather than freight traffic is the importance of time savings to people as passengers. The measurement of time savings is an important tool in the economic evaluation of road improvement projects. Their value is measured in relation to both passenger and freight traffic and in terms of working time and leisure time savings. The weighting given to working time is approximately four times the value of non-working or leisure time. Almost two-thirds of traffic on national roads is work related.
I consider that no alteration in the relative priority of different roads, as already identified in the Operational Programme, is warranted on the basis of the NESC's comments.