Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yes, but the trick is to ensure there are enough. I always described it as a conveyor belt carrying little stones. Some of them might get caught up in the conveyor belt, but if there are enough stones on the conveyor belt there will be enough stones emerging at the end of it to keep the factory going. I am very critical that up to €30 million has not been spent on the ground with results in this calendar year. That is the first matter. Second, I accept the Minister's personal argument, but it appears that whoever had these accounts before she took over in June was not doing a great deal. I do not excuse the Government, because it was one of the Minister's colleagues who was sitting on the account and, effectively, they did not get the job done. It is unacceptable. We all fight in here about the Estimates, but then the money is not spent. I hate to labour the point but if €30 million had been put into rural Ireland this year it would have done much practical work for people, who will now have to wait until 2017. The other danger is that there will be an underspend again in Leader and the other programmes because the first six months will be taken up with how to spend last year's money.