Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

With regard to funding, the Leader programme this time is smaller than the previous programme because the funding for the rural development programme was much less than in the last programme. To be clear, the west Cork LCDC was selected by an independent selection committee. I have no input into that, and the decision was upheld, upon appeal, that west Cork LCDC would roll out the Leader programme. As far as Comhar na nOileán is concerned, I understand it is a member of the west Cork LCDC. It is part of that. It is a matter of getting on with it now. I cannot change that. I was not going to interfere, nor should I interfere in it. An independent selection committee made the decision that west Cork LCDC would run that programme.