Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)

I thank the Minister of State. As he noted, that tallies with what the council has been informed of and I know additional funding was provided last year. I am really asking whether there is a possibility that can happen again this year. I know the council has made an application for additional funding to the Department. The council is willing to try to come up with the matching funding of 15% within the council. It has to managed to do that even though it has put a fair burden on the council, because it realises the importance of these grants and the importance of honouring the priority one grants, in particular, by ensuring it has sufficient funds to cover those applications. The council does not know the volume of grant applications with priority one status requiring work to be done to a home yet to be sent to the office. Will the Minister of State give an indication as to whether additional funding will be made available this year, as it was last year? The funding will be put to good use. I understand Cavan County Council is probably not the only local authority looking for additional funding. I know a number of them did not spend their allocations but the vast majority did and required more funding.