I welcome this morning's allocation by the Department of Transport for our local and regional roads. County Cavan is getting €17 million and County Monaghan is getting €16 million. The Minister for Community and Rural Development, Deputy Humphreys, recently announced the local improvement scheme, which is very welcome, especially in rural counties such as the one in which I live. The big-ticket item for Cavan County Council, however, will be the Virginia bypass. Cavan County Council is almost ready to present the finalised identification of preferred routes. I ask that the Taoiseach be fully behind the Minister for Transport in making sure that bypass is delivered.

I have been to Virginia many times. It is a lovely town but it needs a bypass. I can give assurance to the Deputy that funding will be provided this year to advance that project. It is not possible to do every road project every year. There has to be a pipeline but the priority will be bypassing towns that need a bypass. Virginia is certainly one of those towns.