Alan Kelly (Labour)

I would appreciate if the Minister would ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources a question on my behalf. Given that €3 million of the €10.6 million has been allocated this year and accepting that the cost of the works will be in excess of the latter figure, will the Minister outline the dates for the staged release of the funds in order that a proper assessment can take place of the volume of work that each phased allocation will cover? Local people would like to know if certain areas will be prioritised and how much money will be allocated for phase 2 in 2009 or 2010. Without such information, they will not be able to determine how much funding will be available each year. I would appreciate if the Minister would obtain a statement providing information on the phased roll-out of expenditure on the works.