The maintenance and improvement of non-national roads are matters for individual local authorities which submit multi-annual programmes to the Department. Far be it from me to advise Senators but if councillors, Senators or Deputies feel priority should be given to their respective local authority areas, I can only suggest that in exceptional circumstances they should have discussions with their local authority. The Department is prepared to consider positively any request from a county council to adjust the current 2002-05 multi-annual restoration programme to allow for the inclusion of one or more local tertiary roads in place of schemes already included in the programme. If local authorities are of the view that this should be done and if they make a case to the Department, we will be more than prepared to give positive consideration to any such request.