Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

During the summer I was told payments under the scheme would cease. At that time we had spent €150 million. The Department put in another €32 million, a further €195 million of a Supplementary Estimate, which was regarded as an exceptional item of expenditure, and a further €30 million before the end of the year. We brought the payments practically up to date by the end of the year, amounting to €414 million——

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