Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. That is the specific issue Deputy Brendan Smith raised with me and intended to address this morning through this oral question. It is very much a matter for the Minister for Transport to manage his capital budget. Deputy Ó Cuív has correctly pointed out that there is a very significant underspend in the year to date. The feedback we are getting in my Department is that the Department of Transport expects to bring spending in line with profile. To answer the Deputy's question directly, if it is the view of that Department that a reallocation of funding to road improvements or resurfacing of non-national roads, county roads and local improvement scheme roads in the course of the year is what it wishes to do in order to fully avail of its capital envelope, I would be favourably disposed to facilitating that. However, the request for such an initiative has to come from the relevant Minister and the Department of Transport. My door is open and I will engage positively with any such request that might come.

See this speech in context