THE National Roads Authority told the Dail Committee of Public Accounts yesterday it intended to introduce tolls on some roads in Dublin and Cork.
Mr Michael Tobin, the authority's chief executive, said the roads identified as suitable for tolls included the Lee tunnel in Cork and the Dublin C-Ring road.
Mr Tommy Broughan TD, a member of the committee and a Lab our deputy for Dublin NorthEast, reminded the authority of the strong feelings and very deep resistance" to applying tolls to roads which had been built "with publicly owned money".
Mr Broughan asked if it would not be counter productive to introduce tolls in two major cities. He also expressed concern that toll charges could divert traffic into residential areas. In Dublin, he said, toll roads would force people off the C Ring and back into "rat running" through estates.
Mr Broughan said he was particularly concerned about a stretch of new road now nearing completion linking Dublin Airport to Blanchardstown, for which he said ministerial approval for tolls was to be sought.