Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

I will offer an example. In County Kilkenny, the schemes for Freshford, Johnstown and Goresbridge are bundled together. They cost €5.1 million and it has taken four and half years to get them through the system. That is not the council's fault but the Department's. A number of plans and capital programmes were reviewed after the general election and have been delayed by two or three years. They were supposed to be started in 2008 or 2009 but now will not start until 2011. How will the Minister explain that? His brief states differently but that is what is happening on the ground. I ask the Minister to review how the systems operate and the bundling mechanisms, which are in place to slow schemes down rather than improve matters.

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