Petrol tax plan to aid road building

THE Government is to consider a special tax on petrol to help bridge the multi-million euro gap in the road-building programme.

The controversial proposal comes in a special consultants’ report for the National Roads Authority (NRA) which examines the shortfall in funding for new roads.

Transport Minister Séamus Brennan yesterday conceded that he must find up to 500 million extra per year to meet the targets laid down in the National Development Plan 2000-2006.