In 2003, despite difficult economic conditions, the local government fund has continued to provide a buoyant source of funding for local government authorities. This year, a total of €626 million has been allocated in general purpose grants for local authorities. This represents a 6% increase on the 2002 allocation and is some 85% higher than the corresponding allocation in 1997, to which I referred as the base year. Such increases would not have been possible without the extra revenue generated by increases in motor tax rates. The increases in these rates have also enabled us to maintain the provision for non-national roads just short of the record levels for 2002.