I propose to take Questions Nos. 608 and 609 together.
In light of the many demands on the capital budget of my Department, it is necessary to prioritise all requests for expenditure within the context of available resources. As part of the administrative arrangements within the Planning and Building Unit of my Department, a small number of senior officials from within the Unit, review all new expenditure requests in order to ensure the prudent management of the capital budget of my Department. A total of 86 projects covering works to the value of €2.66m have been approved in this manner this year.