Mr. John McCarthy:

Our role in respect of local authorities is to ensure that they have the necessary legislation and broad funding arrangements in place to discharge their general functions. However, we do not fund roads programmes. The people who have a policy perspective in respect of roads are in the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. We have no engagement with local authorities with regard to roads. If, however, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport wanted to take from the local authorities the remaining roads functions they discharge, we would certainly have an interest in that because it would not fit within the broad policy framework that is in place, under which local authorities should continue to discharge significant functions at local level. That is just to clarify that matter.