Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)

The Minister, Deputy Harney, freely accepted on 8 May last that moneys should not have been hived off from the allocation of €51 million that was provided for under A Vision for Change. Just €27 million of the €51 million package has been spent. The Minister argued that there is no point in providing money if we do not know where it will be used. Therefore, she allocated no money this year. Do I understand correctly that just €3 million of the outstanding €24 million has been spent this year under A Vision for Change? At that rate, it will take nine years to spend the balance of the €51 million that was allocated in 2006 and 2007. Can the Minister confirm that the process which is under way at the moment involves a discussion on the allocation in question? What was the outcome of the discussion on the moneys which have not yet been used for the purposes for which they were allocated? Will the Minister tell the House whether the Government is committed to addressing the important recommendation outlined in chapter 17 of A Vision for Change? I refer to the recommendation that an additional €25 million be allocated each year for seven years to facilitate the non-capital investment demanded in A Vision for Change. The Minister has already committed herself to selling current resources to fund the capital requirements of A Vision for Change.

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