Southside TDs have continued to express their frustration with planned increases to the M50 toll on January 1.
Last week, the Dáil debated a Sinn Féin private motion on the issues surrounding the motor industry in Ireland, such as high insurance premiums and calling on the government to scrap the planned changes.
The party’s transport spokesperson, Pa Daly, claimed that Minister For Transport Darragh O’Brien has the power to stop the increases, but is choosing not to.
From January 1, users will be charged an extra 10 cents per trip.
The TII said that all categories of vehicles using the M50 will experience an increase, with the exception of unregistered motor cars without a tag.
The organisation added that the tolls pay for “the annual protection and renewal of national roads.”
With the cost-of-living crisis showing little signs of abating, Southside TDs have questioned the necessity of an increase in consumers’ expenses.
Speaking at the time, Dublin Rathdown TD Shay Brennan said “the TII has a responsibility to clearly set out the reasons behind these toll increases.”
“Unless it can be shown that there has been a genuine and unavoidable rise in operating costs, there is no justification for increasing tolls at this time,” which indicates discomfort within government ranks at the move, at at time when the cost of living crisis is still biting for commuters – and in the case of the government, voters.
“With the cost of living already high, we must avoid placing further financial pressure on commuters and families. Where possible, we need to hold the line on prices and ensure that any increases are truly unavoidable,” Brennan said, adding that the increases should be a “last resort.”
Sinn Féin TD Mark Ward “as we speak, Irish drivers who are going about their business and driving home from work are paying more for their petrol and diesel than drivers in other European countries.”
“The government will point to geopolitical factors as the reason for these high petrol and diesel prices, but people should not let the government fool them.”
The Dublin Mid-West TD asserted, “It is government policy that is driving up the cost of filling up their car. In the budget, the government increased the carbon tax on petrol again by adding an extra €3 to the cost of filling up a tank. This was a government choice.”
Party finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty called the planned increases “a kick in the teeth” and a boon to privately-operated toll booth operators.
“Punitive increases during a cost-of-living crisis are just another legacy of bad economic policy decisions made by successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments,” he said.
Junior finance minister Robert Troy said that Sinn Féin’s motion “fails to recognise that there have been extra inflationary costs in the construction industry, including products used for pavement repair, meaning the cost of the protection and renewal of the existing road network has increased significantly.”
“The opposition has also failed to recognise that revenues raised by toll roads are invested in the operation and maintenance of our road network, as well as paying off the cost of loans to build these roads,” the Fianna Fáil TD said.
Ward criticised the Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael/Green coalition for raising the carbon tax by €15, an issue that reveals the difference in approach between Sinn Féin and their prospective coalition partners on the left.
Labour TD and transport spokesperson Ciaran Ahern welcomed the Sinn Féin motion, but said “where Labour and Sinn Féin diverge from the motion is on the issue of carbon tax.”
“This is the second Sinn Féin motion I have spoken on to which I have not been able to give my full support because of the position taken on carbon tax,” the Dublin South-West TD said.
“Labour supports a just transition, not a punitive one. That is why we fought successfully for carbon tax revenue to be fully ring-fenced, with at least €500 million per year now directed towards energy efficiency, retrofitting, fuel poverty alleviation and rural transport initiatives.”
Ahern criticised Sinn Féin for their attack on carbon taxes.
“If carbon tax increases were to be reversed, as the motion proposes, funding for energy efficiency, the warmer homes scheme and rural transport initiatives would be removed.”
Ahern noted, “this is money that directly supports the very people who are struggling the most. Carbon tax currently adds about 2.5 cent per litre to the price of petrol and diesel. That is equivalent to roughly €1.25 per 50-litre fill. That is not an insignificant amount, but it is certainly not the primary driver of record fuel prices.”
“Climate action must be socially just, but abandoning a polluter pays principle in climate policy altogether would harm both the environment and the very people we aim to protect,” he said.
Independent TD Paul Gogarty said, “many people have no choice but to drive, which costs them a lot of money, because we do not have the investment we need in public transport. That is clear in my constituency of Dublin Mid-West.”
“One solution to reduce costs is to give more incentives to purchase and use electric vehicles. Unfortunately, the grants are not enough. You can get them quite cheaply second-hand. I have driven one for nearly ten years now, and it saves an absolute fortune. However, there are people in new estates who cannot get proper parking and who are not allowed to charge using cheap home rates. That needs to be looked at,” he noted.
Gogarty said that M50 tolls should be scrapped in areas where there is high congestion, notably in his constituency.
“There is a rat run down through Lucan and across the Liffey because of the toll heading towards Blanchardstown,” he noted.
Gogarty said that the government are not doing enough on the carbon tax debate, and that opposition parties are using it as a “populist tool.”
“It is not about the carbon tax in itself but about how you use it. If it is applied fairly, it incentivises good environmental behaviour. We are facing massive fines down the road,” noting that Ireland faces major fines from Europe if it does not meet legally binding climate targets.
Independent Sean Canney, one of the independents backing the government and made a junior transport minister as part of the January coalition agreement, said “the government is at all times cognisant of the challenges facing households and businesses across the country in light of inflationary challenges.”
“The government has acted decisively and swiftly to provide supports over successive budgets. At the same time, we must be prepared for longer-term challenges and make decisions which are fiscally prudent.”
Canny said, “it is important to highlight the ongoing improvements on our road network, which are necessary to support a growing population and economy. Total revenue has had an important role in funding such improvements as well as the improvements necessary to enhance road safety for all users. PPP contracts have been instrumental in the rapid development of our road network and in particular, the motorway network.”