Opposition seeks clarification on M50 upgrade

The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, is to be asked for clarification after he appeared to tell the Dáil yesterday that National Toll Roads (NTR) is already involved in the project to upgrade Dublin's M50.

The initial stage of the €800 million upgrade, to be carried out in three separate stages over the coming five years, is expected to begin later this year.

The Department of Transport and the National Roads Authority confirmed last night that no tenders have as yet been accepted for any of this work.

Opposition spokespersons including the Labour leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, Ms Olivia Mitchell of Fine Gael and Mr Eamon Ryan of the Green Party believe the Dáil could have been misled and are to press for clarification.

Responding to questions on why the State should not buy out NTR's contract to operate the West-Link bridge, the Taoiseach told Mr Rabbitte there were "implications for the funding of the M50 upgrade project which is tied in". He said the implications arose "because NTR is involved in the funding of the project, a buy-out is not an option because that will affect the work".

However, the Department of Transport last night confirmed that no private sector partner had as yet been formally selected for the work, and even a tender for the initial phase due to begin in June had not yet been accepted.

Phase one consisting of a third lane on the M50 between the Red Cow (N7) and West-Link (N4) junctions is to be financed by the Exchequer. Phase two, the upgrade of the interchanges, and phase three - the imposition of a third lane on the northern and southern cross routes - are public-private partnership projects.

NTR with the National Pensions Reserve Board has put in a joint bid for the public-private sections of the upgrade. A rival bid is being put together by SIAC Construction and its Spanish partner, Ferrovial Agromán. A spokesperson for this consortium could not be contacted last night.

A spokesman for NTR confirmed the company was interested in the business but said its bid had not as yet been selected. The spokesman said the Taoiseach was probably referring to the income stream from the bridge, rather than NTR itself.

"The contract with us runs until 2020 and generates about €18 million a year for the State, after this the State proposes to offer another licence to somebody for another 15 years. I think what Mr Ahern meant was that money from the bridge is to fund the upgrade, not NTR."

The Department of Transport has said it is preparing legislation for the prosecution of motorists who fail to pay toll charges to NTR if an "open barrier" system was put in place at the West-Link.