Transport, Tourism & Sport Committee to focus on motorway, tolling & national road issues

The agenda for the meeting is:

AGENDA: (i) Unopened motorway service stops; (ii) Reduction in the budget for maintaining national roads and (iii) Tolling issues (M1). [Representatives of Transport Infrastructure Ireland]

Committee Chair, Deputy O’Dowd said: “Tomorrow we will focus on the issue of unopened motorway service stops, the reduction in the budget for maintaining national roads and recent issues regarding toll collection on the M1.

Motorway service areas are an important part of motorway infrastructure, providing necessary rest areas and facilities for road users. In relation to unopened motorway services, we will be particularly interested in spending to date and we will want to know why no motorway service areas have been opened since 2010.

“We will also examine the reduction in the budget for maintaining national roads. While the motorway network has expanded greatly over the past number of decades, the budget for maintaining national roads has been cut. We will be keen to find out how this is affecting essential routine repair and maintenance of the national road system.

“In relation to overcharging at the toll facility near Drogheda, we would still like to know when the operator of the toll became aware of this problem, what action was taken and when Transport Infrastructure Ireland was informed of the issue. The Committee will also like to know if this issue arose at other toll plazas and we will want to know what actions have been taken to ensure an issue like this never arises again.”

The Committee will start at 9am, tomorrow, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 in Committee Room 4, Leinster House. Committee proceedings can be viewed live here.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.