Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

My understanding is that, in general, counties are given a group water allocation and it is the county, not the Department of the Environment and Local Government, that decides which schemes are given approval. The Senator should return to his local authority and ask what allocation it received this year and which schemes it, not the Department, will approve under that scheme.

The Senator also mentioned cutbacks in the western development fund. I wish to again clarify a basic fact. The fund was cut because last year the Western Development Commission failed to spend the money that had been allocated to it in the Estimates. It was allocated almost €6 million, but spent only €1 million and we allocated it some €2 million. I have had continuous discussions with the Western Development Commission. It now seems likely that it will exceed the expenditure of €2 million provided in the Estimates. I have made arrangements to give extra money to fund the extra projects that are likely to be drawn down this year.