Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

If John Gormley was able to sustain the level of funding in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, when the recession was at its deepest, there is simply no reason why Fine Gael, if it had chosen to continue that level of funding, could not have done so. My question has still not been answered. I want to know, year on year, from now to 2021, what the investment is. I knew the figure was €1.1 billion over that period of time because of a reply to a parliamentary question a number of weeks ago. Unless we front-load that expenditure starting from this year, next year and the year after, we will face potentially millions of euro of fines. Clearly the officials have not given the Minister of State the figures. It would be good to let me know in writing, how much of that €1.1 billion is being put in, year on year, next year, the year after and the year after that. The reason the Commission has initiated court proceedings is because it is not satisfied at the progress to date on the 38 agglomerations. I am not only concerned about the 38 but the 127 identified by the EPA. I would be very grateful if the Minister of State could provide in writing at a later stage figures for what capital investment they will get from now to 2021.

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