Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

On the Leader funding, the Minister suggested that regulations had been imposed by the European Parliament. A Sinn Féin delegation was in Brussels recently, led by our MEP, Liadh Ní Riada. We met a representative from the Court of Auditors who stated that the new changes to the Leader scheme were not imposed by the European Parliament. Where does this come from? They say that the changes did not come from them. Some of the changes were unnecessary. The process could have been kept simpler and we would not need to have met all the groups and go through everything as we have done. My concern, which many Deputies will share, is that the vital funding reaches those on the ground. My understanding is that €8.25 million has been approved from that budget. I would like to see far more money reach those on the ground. It is not necessarily the case that we can blame the European Parliament for everything.