Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The history of this is that this scheme was funded solely from the Department of Transport. When I became Minister, I topped up and matched money from the Department of Transport in the CLÁR areas as part of the CLÁR scheme. If that Department did not give the money I did not give the money.

To be quite honest, members of the public just see the Exchequer. They only see one Government constitutionally. They do not care which pocket the money comes out of because it costs the same thing to the taxpayer, no matter what pocket it comes out of. Were the Minister to agree to find out what the total demand of valid applications is, we could go to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and, if necessary, he could take the money off the Department of Transport and give it to somebody who will spend it on these completely vital roads. Will the Minister find out what the total demand for the scheme is around the country in order that we have the ammunition to fight her cause for her?

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