Fine Gael Meath East TD, Helen McEntee, has welcomed a proposal from the Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar TD, to have a one month toll-holiday for HGVs to encourage use of the motorway network.

Deputy McEntee added that while securing a bypass for Slane remains the top priority, the proposal would be a step in the right direction for the village in the short term.

He said: "Minister Varadkar has come up with what I think is a very good idea to allow truckers to travel on motorways toll-free for a month, to see if it will persuade more HGVs to use the motorways. In putting forward his proposal, Minister Varadkar has referenced Slane in particular, where HGVs are of course causing on-going problems due to the absence of a bypass.

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"The Minister has asked the National Roads Authority (NRA) to look at the feasibility of lifting tolls for heavy goods vehicles for one month, on one or more motorways across the country. But his proposal can only go ahead if the Public Private Partnership companies which operate the tolled roads agree to it; something which I hope will be possible.

"Minister Varadkar has listened to the concerns expressed by me and many of my colleagues around the country about the detrimental impact HGVs are having on regional and local roads, which they are using in order to avoid tolls. In Slane, we are all very familiar with the hugely negative effect this is having on the village. HGV traffic is also contributing to the deteriorating condition of smaller roads, something which is again a particular problem in Meath.

"The Minister's proposal is aiming to establish whether trucks will start using our motorways more often if we change the current tolling regime. This is at least a step in the right direction for Slane village, as it would alleviate the HGV problem in the short term. However, this will not dissuade me from continuing to work towards the ultimate aim of securing a bypass. The NRA have been tasked with running the proposal on a one-month trial basis, later this year. But this can only work if we get agreement from the tolling companies."

(CD/MH)