Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Department budgeted €395 million for the length of the TAMS programme and expenditure to date is €245 million. A sum of €66.6 million was allocated this year. Is that part of the €245 million? If so, it appears that there will be a shortfall in the spend over the term of the programme. The scheme will not close for another few weeks so it is probably hard to put a final figure on it. Is the €66 million figure part of the €245 million or in addition to it? Does the Minister expect that when the scheme closes in the middle of January, we will have applications for the full €395 million?