The National Roads Authority (NRA) has proposed the introduction of tolls at three locations around the country to generate funding for the body's road building programme planned for the next four years.
The proposal would see the introduction of toll schemes at the planned N2 Finglas-Ashbourne, the M7 Newbridge Bypass and at the Jack Lynch Tunnel in Cork to help raise the estimated €2 billion the NRA believes is required to expedite the completion of the 2004-08 plan.
The Authority recently submitted its proposed programme for 2004-08 to the Government based on a provision of almost €7 billion that would be supplemented to the tune of €1 billion by private investment.
The NRA suggested the additional funds raised by the three toll schemes and other methods would speed up the road-building process by as much as two years.
The recommendation was made at the launch today of the NRA's Annual Report for 2003. The NRA delivered on 82km of new high quality road infrastructure in 2003 representing a total investment of some €1bn that includes motorway standard over a distance of 72 kilometres from Dublin to Dundalk.
Speaking at this afternoon's launch, Mr Peter Malone, the Chairman of the NRA, also called for an overhaul of what he called "outdated national monuments legislation" so that it "more appropriately reflects the scale and pace of infrastructure development envisaged in the National Development Plan 2000-06"
Mr Malone added that progress was being made on major routes linking Dublin to Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. He said the work should be completed or underway on "on the entirety of these routes by 2008 with significant sections open to traffic before then."