Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

This is relevant to CLÁR. Senator Burke said:

The reality is that if we are to judge the potential of a slush fund based on the record of Deputy Ó Cuív as controller of CLÁR, it is no surprise there is distrust. The record speaks for itself. There is approximately €175 million in the fund currently, [the dormant accounts fund] but when dormant insurance policies and so on are taken into account there may be something in the region of €500 million to disburse. That is, of course, of concern to many people. The record of Deputy Ó Cuív's efforts under the CLÁR programme in County Galway shows that he has provided, for example, footpaths to the doorways of individual supporters. He has provided roads and boreens to the homes of certain supporters. This is not hearsay — this is a matter of fact.

Any examination by Senator Burke of the facts would have shown him, as I will now demonstrate to the House, that this is an absolutely baseless and scurrilous accusation. Under the CLÁR programme my Department divides resources for roads on a population basis between the various CLÁR areas. A minimum amount of money is given to each county and there is a slight adjustment of the figures for the counties with the largest CLÁR populations as a result.