I ask the Taoiseach to comment on reports emanating from County Hall and Cork County Council that the roads budget for this year will be slashed by €33 million. It is very serious if this is the case. In west Cork, local and regional roads are crumbling. They are under pressure because Cork County Council remains at the very bottom of the league table of road funding allocations. It also has the lowest average allocation of funding per kilometre for regional and local roads. It is really important that we clarify that. Is the current funding for national roads or for local roads? I would prefer if we did not refer to the recent opening of the Dunkettle Interchange and the Macroom bypass because they do not benefit the people in west Cork who are dealing with substandard local roads. We do not have bus services or other public transport there. People rely on cars to get around and therefore they rely on a decent standard of road. It is really important that it be clarified whether the budget will be cut by €33 million.

I understand those allocations will be made on Thursday. I think the information the Deputy has been given is probably incorrect. I am not referring to national roads here; they are a separate pot. I am talking about local and regional roads. Sometimes restoration and maintenance of existing roads and funding for new local and regional roads get mixed up in the one pot which can create the appearance of a cut. For example, in County Kildare, which the Ceann Comhairle will know very well, the fact that the Athy bypass is now open and running means Kildare does not get money for that new road again, which is separate from regional and local roads. I think it will become clear on Thursday.