Mr. Peter Walsh:

I cannot say because I am not familiar enough with the Mallow relief road, which is being funded separately. My colleague Mr. O'Neill could provide more detail if required. The notion that major projects are in some way taking from the minor ones is something that the Department is addressing to a certain extent, in that protection and renewal work is a classification of funding that is protected as of this year's allocations. It is the first time we have come to this level of designation. Bearing in mind that the Department has determined that there should be a specific amount for protection and renewal and a specific amount for new roads, the split in the funding we are receiving for the years 2021 to 2025 is 54% for protection and renewal, including minor interventions, and 46% for new roads. The significant increase in funding in the second half of the national development plan will change the balance to 29% versus 71%.

This approach can be interpreted as protecting the protection and renewal money, including for minor interventions. If there is anxiety that new roads are in some way drawing away from those interventions, let me say that we do not swap between pots. Where we have an annual allocation under the protection and renewal element, we make every effort to ensure that those moneys are spent within that classification and do not go to subvent expenditure on major projects. We budget for the major projects elsewhere.