Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

More people would have applied or subscribed to the fund than the level of funding that was available. We would have tiered programmes based on various criteria. We allocated €224 million as a priority, even though €200 million was the allocation given. We did that to make sure that if there was a delay in one area, we could quickly move to another programme to ensure that the money would actually be used. This is exactly why I went to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to seek a second LIHAF. We knew that there were sites that could be opened up quickly - as per LIHAF I - if we could introduce a LIHAF II. That is where the additional €50 million provided in the budget has come from and that is where it will go.