Rose Conway Walsh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Having met the rural groups, I can say there are now 18 stages in obtaining approval for a project. It takes decision-making out of local communities and makes the process more bureaucratic. I have deep concerns about the depreciation in value of the Leader programme this time around. There have been major mistakes made which I will address at another forum. One of the biggest assets in the west is the Corrib gas project. It pains me to see high levels of unemployment and emigration, but at the same time it should be remembered that it was the policy of a previous Government to give terms to oil companies which involved tax write-offs on their costs incurred all over the world. Surely that needs to be changed.