Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

I will stick to the facts. The money was provided, but never spent apart from approximately €250,000 of the allocation of €2.5 million. That was taken back. Deputy Parlon said it was not returned to the Department of Finance, but of course it was and reallocated elsewhere under other schemes. Perhaps the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs has had a hand in spending some of it. The reality is that not a shovel was lifted to start drainage work in south Galway, despite the fact that Deputy Parlon insisted the criteria for spending the money would be adhered to. Schemes were identified under the cost benefit analysis demanded and would have benefited, but the Minister of State walked away from them and said they could not be done because if the water was removed from one place it would lodge elsewhere. The Department could have rectified that if it wanted, but it did not do so. It shelved the money and the scheme. No doubt it will promise it again before the 2007 election. Deputy Parlon will probably promise to drain the Shannon on that occasion if he is still in his current position.