I raise the matter of GLAS payments to farmers. Farmers are hit two ways because they are not being paid for GLAS. One of the scheme's requirements is that farmers may not cut their meadows or cut silage until the month of July. What happened last year was that farmers along the west who were in GLAS obeyed the rules but were unable to cut their fodder when they went to do so because the weather had changed. The weather has not improved since. Will the Taoiseach please pay the farmers who are owed their GLAS money and give them some kind of grant to provide fodder for their cattle? Many farmers face ruin and extinction if he does not do so.

I do not have an update on the GLAS payments to hand. They will be paid as soon as they can be. On fodder, the Minister, Deputy Creed, is developing a targeted scheme which may assist with the cost of transporting fodder.

This is a serious problem in some regions and not in others, and anything that is done will be targeted.

Briefly, on Deputy Danny Healy-Rae's query earlier about the Minister, Deputy Zappone's button being pressed, I wish to clarify that I was the co-signature here and if I had been aware that this was the case, I would not have provided any signature.

On the programme for Government regarding road improvements, in the talks on Government two years ago the Government acknowledged that the budget for local and regional roads was still recovering following the crash. Due to the lack of investment, due to the neglect and due to the severe weather experienced since August last, the condition of many of the roads in west Cork is appalling. They are dangerous and are seriously damaged, thus putting lives at risk and causing accidents and damage to cars. The condition of the roads is now a national emergency. Will the Government make emergency funds available to the local authority to meet this crisis? The situation has to be dealt with immediately.

Perhaps this matter would be best raised with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. As I stated earlier on a previous question, it is only January. The budget has only just been set for the year and we are not in a position at this early stage in the year to reallocate funds within Departments or move funds from one Department to another.