Mr. John Conlon:

With respect to the Deputy, I believe he is conflating a number of issues there with respect to delays which give rise to cost escalation because of the inflationary aspect of the time, if it is a movement from one time period to another. One of the approaches there, from a public spending code point of view, is to then revise one’s benchmark rather than go with the previous benchmark. That is the approach I would like to see taken where if there are delays in projects over a period of time, where one revises the benchmark to have a better view of what one’s value-for-money benchmarks are and to then review one’s cost inputs.

The Derry road has not proceeded and it will cost much more now than it would have then. However, we will do a revised business case for it to give one a current benchmark, from that point of view.