Mr. Pat Maher:

I cannot give the Senator an overall figure. However, let us look at some of the inputs, for a start, energy for public lighting, etc. For instance, in relation to the non-motorway network, we grant allocate local authorities typically €4 million per annum. Just like everybody else, that will have doubled in the current year. Energy costs are a huge factor. Operating a tunnel, as the Senator suggested, is particularly intensive in respect of energy costs because of the lighting, etc. All the electronic equipment that motorists see on the likes of the M50 and elsewhere is subject to the same increase. That is just one aspect of it.

When we talk about maintenance and asset management, we talk about kind of routine day-to-day maintenance, but also the renewal of the network. The Senator said that when it is built, it is built. Actually, every-----