Mr. Michael Ludlow:

They form part of our local development strategy. We have proposed a development plan for the sector in the Leader local development strategy. This strategy could help to bring these people together in the way the Amsterdam declaration and the Commission decided was best, that is, to consider a cluster development. It was found that when these different groupings or sectors are brought together, even more creative energy is generated. We have the specialist knowledge and know-how to generate enterprise and economic activity by working with a collective group of people of this nature. However, there is a missing element to this. We can bring all these people together, and we have the Leader funding and staff to do so, but there are major funds at European level which could be applied to in order to further this industry. However, we do not currently have the personnel to do so, unless, as I explained to the Chairman, we privately fund-raise and employ, perhaps on a part-time basis, the expertise. We can then make only a limited approach to the fund. Right across the spectrum, not just on these programmes, there are communities, enterprises and sectors which could benefit enormously from more collective support and from an individual being immersed in the community with the capacity to chase down these funds and drive the applications to the level required.