Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)

I appreciate that and thank the Minister. We desperately need that extra funding in some areas. The Minister said that County Cork receives the third highest amount of funding. He will be aware that Cork is the biggest county in Ireland, so we are way down the ladder if that is the case. I am not trying to be critical. The Minister is doing his best to get additional funding and we appreciate that, because there is a desperate need. People should not be waiting six or seven years.

I filled in forms for a gentleman in 2017. We have spent the time since then on the phone trying to make sure it gets across the line, perhaps once an month. Ellen in my office never gave up on it. It was only last week that he was told that his road will go ahead in a month's time, which is great and it is a success. However, there is frustration. I find that people are annoyed with the political system. When I knock on the door or talk to them, people say "you never got that road done for me". That is not the way it works. There is not enough funding going into County Cork, unfortunately, and the roads are not being done. We see that there are 4,000 to be done nationally so there is a massive amount of money to be got here for the local improvement scheme.

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