Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is quite correct. There is an overall check from Europe which undertook spot checks in the past following which funding had to be repaid. On the Deputy's point, that is why we made 31 changes in an effort to simplify the process. She is correct. It is something that I inherited. We made the changes and I believe, and the Deputy might check this with her own Leader company, that it has been better streamlined and there has been an improvement. Approximately 429 Leader projects have received around €11 million in Leader funding to date. That is the up-to-date figure, and there has been an improvement. There are requests for 400 further projects amounting to funding of up to €14 million. As Deputy Smyth said, some of the local authorities are brilliant for spending the funds, some of the Leader companies are doing very well, and some are not performing at all. I spoke to them last week after they requested a meeting, and I told them I wanted to work with them, not against them. It is not in my interest for the funds to be returned. It is in my interest and that of the Leader programmes and the communities that we get the money out, and that is what I want them to do. I have tried to simplify it as best I can. The Deputy will accept that there have to be checks and balances and ultimately I and the Department's financial officer have responsibility. The Deputy is correct that perhaps we went a step too far with some of the bureaucracy but we have made major changes. I have told them, and I am telling members the same thing here, that if they are still finding difficulties, I will meet them and see what I can do to make changes.