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

The decision is not based on the size of population but on the LCDC structure. That was the way it was progressed. It was in the then Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, and all these processes had been gone through and independently assessed and decided before the function was transferred to my Department.

Regarding Galway, the local development strategy for the implementation of the Leader programme in Galway was submitted by FORUM Connemara Limited and the Galway LCDC. The strategy submitted by Galway LCDC covered the full regional area for Leader in Galway while the strategy submitted by FORUM Connemara Limited covered the municipal district of Connemara, about one third of the area and less than one quarter of the population. The strategy submitted by FORUM Connemara Limited was selected by the selection committee and this decision was upheld following an appeal by the LCDC. FORUM Connemara Limited has one particular area that it deals with. A funding agreement has been signed with FORUM Connemara Limited for the delivery of Leader in the area of west Galway which is covered by its strategy. A second expression of interest and strategy selection process was launched for the east Galway region. That was the region not covered by the FORUM Connemara Limited strategy, and expressions of interest were received from Galway Rural Development, GRD, for the full east Galway region and by Comhar na nOileán Teoranta for the municipal district of Oranmore, which only covers part of east Galway. That is in a process at present. Galway Rural Development and Comhar na nOileán Teoranta are in an independent selection process. I have no input into that - absolutely none. They are in an independent selection process but I understand they are working together, they are in discussions regarding a joint strategy and I await the outcome of that.