Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will do my best, and I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I will deal with each of them in turn.

On Deputy Durkan's point, I took care with the words I used earlier in my first answer to him. I said projects would be moved along, but of course it is the case that many projects are not hitting the original timings that were anticipated for them. So many capital projects have been affected by where we have been with inflation and the unavoidable consequences of our construction sector being closed for so long during the pandemic. In my experience, projects are still moving ahead, but it is undoubtedly the case they are not hitting the original timings laid down for them in the NDP. Some of those reasons are beyond the control of the Government.

With regard to Castletown House, I acknowledge Deputy Durkan's long-standing interest in this topic. He contacted me and the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, in the early moments after this issue developed. I know the OPW and all of us are doing our best to try and find some way to resolve this issue. We also have to be conscious of the needs of the taxpayer and the fact there is a negotiation that happened and could happen again. I acknowledge the Deputy's interest in this matter and the case he is making for the resolution of this issue on behalf of the community. That will certainly be taken into account in our work on this issue in the time ahead.

To answer Deputy Stanton, it is a matter for each Minister to make decisions on the allocation of their own departmental budget for particular projects, and I have to respect that. It is the way the allocation of our budget works. I am aware of the long-standing interest the Deputy has in the Mallow relief road and the N25, which he has raised regularly with me here in the Dáil and elsewhere. I am aware of his views on this issue and his view regarding the need to make progress on them. I acknowledge that again.

In response to Deputy Crowe, I have written a few of those lines myself in the past and I am well aware of the importance of them. The current NDP will be the one that will see this Government out, but of course I am aware of the importance of that NDP and the signal it sends to local authorities and planning bodies.

To quickly conclude, with the indulgence of the Leas Cheann-Comhairle, Deputy Conway-Walsh raised the issue of a specific road project. I know the Minister, Deputy Ryan, is trying to make progress on many different transport projects at the moment, both public and road-based. As every Minister has to do, he is simply trying to allocate the funding that is available to him to make progress on as many things as possible at the current point. I will certainly raise, as I will those of Deputy Stanton, the views on those particular projects with the Minister.

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