The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform says a further 2.65 billion euro is being made available for capital spending

Paschal Donohoe has clarified that the €2.65 billion is simply the unallocated part of the €5 billion announced last summer.

Minister @Paschald admits 'additional' €2.6bn is part of €5bn announced last summer @TodayFMNews pic.twitter.com/eyEhOllhzM

— Juliette Gash (@JulietteGash) January 31, 2017

Minister Donohoe has given his Ministerial colleagues until the end of February to come up with a wishlist of projects they feel deserve extra cash.

Minister Donohoe says housing has already been given extra funding, but he said he fully expects Housing Minister Simon Coveney to ask for more.

He also said it was important that projects have a regional spread.

Minister Donohoe said he expected some major projects to fall by the wayside too, but that some previously announced ones would get further funding.

And he admitted that the 2.6 billion wasnÂ’t really new money;