Ms Orla Carroll:

There is a limitation on what exemptions one can work under and what brackets funding can be funnelled through. Each of those different brackets has different grant-aiding aid amounts. Deputy Dillon mentioned immersive heritage and culture. That is what we tended to use in the past, but there is also regional aid, infrastructural aid and different percentages of funding that can be given. They also take into account - this is where private over public comes in - the future commerciality and profitability of a business when calculating the state aid as well. There are quite a lot of things to consider. What we try to do is maximise where we can and look at where there is the greatest need. As we are spending taxpayers' money, we also have to make sure we put it towards getting the best possible return on investment and having the best possible impact.

Something Mr. Keeley mentioned as well is that while it is a competitive process, we take into account where projects are located. For example, we invested in Strokestown Park House, Gardens and National Famine Museum, which had a successful opening last year. Some 10,000, 20,000 or 30,000 visitors to Roscommon has much more of an impact than, say, another 10,000 visitors to Dublin. We take that into account, manage it and look at its impact. We review every application by its impact on the destination and its wider impact.

Mr. Keeley also mentioned that we work with strategic partners and the local authorities. A lot of that work is about how we leverage State assets for the greater good of the destination. Through initiatives like developing greenways, we see more other businesses coming. We talked about accommodation and we spoke to financiers. They need the motivators. They will follow if the visitors are there. It is a bit of a chicken and egg situation, where the attractor comes first.

Deputy Dillon asked about future grant schemes. We have a pipeline, as Mr. Keeley mentioned in his opening statement. We have 120 outdoor projects and we have 27 attractions in the pipeline. We are restricted by the envelope we have to spend each year. Money cannot transfer over, so it is tight and that causes us complications. Unfortunately, capital projects, by their nature, get stuck either in planning or because of inflation. There are other things outside of our control.

We do not have any new schemes forthcoming because our pipeline is committed. The exception is just transition, for which we have received €68 million, and we aim to launch in July to August a group of new schemes, both public and private, for that territory.