Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The point is well made at this stage and I do not have to labour it any further, if the Deputy will excuse the pun. The question of costs relates to property costs, which I have given. The needs of the programme are assessed in the context of the Estimates process each year. Funding is approved on the basis of the particular projects being progressed in the relevant period. Originally in 2004, a notional gross figure of €900 million was put on the decentralisation process. As a gross figure it did not include any possible offsets in terms of what other funds would become available to the State as a result of the decentralisation process. The figures I have given are the property costs and the offsets as opposed to the costs on the property side show a positive figure in the region of €280 million.

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