Mr. Peter Walsh:

There was a note issued. In fact it was the Deputy's query to the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications that prompted us to issue the note.

There was some confusion about what the status of an allocation was. We operate under section 19 of the Roads Act to deliver on our mandate through the local authorities. Allocations are given to local authorities for specific projects that reflect what we believe to be the progress that can be made on that project in the coming year. In their original selection, the projects reflect the prioritisation given by Government and set out in the national development plan. For an individual year, the allocation reflects what we believe - in conjunction with the local authority - is achievable within the next 12 months. That allocation is the one that goes into our allocation book and is communicated to the local authorities.