The Opposition has rubbished suggestions by the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, that trucks using the Dublin Port Tunnel might have to pay tolls if it was sold to the National Pension Reserve Fund.
Mr Brennan confirmed yesterday that he was discussing the possibility of selling the tunnel to the State pension fund, and said the sale of part of the M1 motorway - linking Dublin with the Border en route to Belfast - was also being considered.
Mr Brennan said no decisions had been taken. In theory, such sales would raise money for crucial road projects in the National Development Plan, now delayed due to the tight fiscal situation.
"We will look at every source of funding we can," said Mr Brennan.
However, the Fine Gael transport spokesman, Mr Denis Naughten, said sale of the tunnel would result in traffic chaos. The only way to make a sale viable was to charge a toll on trucks. The inevitable result would be to divert trucks into central Dublin, defeating the purpose of the tunnel.
He said such a plan would run contrary to Mr Brennan's plan to ban trucks from the city as EU legislation required that a toll-free alternative route must be provided for every road tolled.
Mr Brennan said tolls were under consideration. "There may have to be tolls on trucks, but all of us have to pay tolls now."
When asked whether the tolling of trucks would contravene EU law, a spokesman for Mr Brennan said it appeared that there was no specific EU law requiring toll-free routes alongside all tolled roads.
"Under existing public-private-partnership tolling arrangements entered into by the National Roads Authority, it is the authority's policy, but not an actual requirement, that a toll-free route would be available close to the tolled road."
He added that a more detailed evaluation would be undertaken as the sale issue advanced.
Labour's transport spokeswoman, Ms Róisín Shortall, said Mr Brennan's plans were "off the wall".
Stating that Mr Brennan should make a clear statement of intent, she said her party had proposed selling infrastructure to the pension fund last year.
A Green Party spokesman said any new owner would have a "natural interest" in tolling trucks and getting as many cars into the tunnel as possible, thus increasing gridlock.
