Transport | Amount paid in tolls in the past 8 years

QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Transport the total amount paid in tolls in the past eight years to date in regard to all tolled locations throughout the country without exception; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY

There are eleven toll roads in the State, of which ten are situated on the national road network, with one on the regional road network in Dublin and which is under the control of Dublin City Council, i.e., the Tom Clarke (East Link) Bridge toll on the R131. Of the ten toll roads on the national network, two can be described as ‘public’ tolls as the toll revenues are collected directly for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) as a public authority, by companies under contract to TII. These tolls are located on the M50 and the Dublin Tunnel. 

Toll revenues received by TII contribute to the funding of essential services including the operation and maintenance of the national primary and secondary road network, the Dublin Tunnel, the Jack Lynch Tunnel and TII’s Motorway Control Centre. Services include general day to day maintenance and operation of the network, such as pavement repair and renewal, incident and emergency response, winter gritting, safety barrier repair and renewal, and energy supply and maintenance of route lighting. These essential services are necessary to ensure the national road network is managed and maintained operational, safe, and connected and to fund this work TII relies upon Exchequer funding and tolling revenue.

The other eight toll roads in the State are described as ‘public private partnership’ (PPP) or concession toll roads, which were constructed, and are now operated and maintained under long term contracts by the PPP companies. The revenues on these toll roads are collected by the PPP companies and are used to repay loans borrowed to finance the construction of the road and to fund the ongoing operations and maintenance activities of the PPP managed sections of the national road network.

The tables below list the total amount paid in tolls in the past eight years to date for all national road tolled locations throughout the country.