Mr. Micheál Frain:

As a person who is relatively new to the regional assembly and the local authority, a number of programmes stand out to me. Just transition funding is seen all over the country as a shining light for the development of communities. The other big ticket item is Thrive. There is huge potential in Thrive. The criteria might be changed slightly, which I welcome, for populations that are smaller. Dereliction is a huge issue in local authorities. Again, what these regional assemblies can do working with them in dealing with dereliction is the answer to many of the issues in local authorities. Thrive has huge potential to deal with a lot of dereliction in villages and towns.

Regarding how we can do things better, that was part of it. My background is being a volunteer in the Roscommon LEADER partnership for years. Our regional assemblies deal with infrastructural development but I see social and economic development as huge as well. They are interlinked. If I wanted a wish list as to where we could improve things from a regional assemblies point of view with local authorities, it would also include social and economic development. We have seen the risk to programmes and us being piled in with the CAP. The LEADER programme is under serious threat from very similar issues. We have a role working with local community development committees, local authorities and LEADER companies and adding to our stock of social and economic development as well infrastructural development. It goes without saying that this vacuum is there and nobody is taking it up to run with it and go back to Europe. That is the sort of mantle we need to take up if we are on about putting ourselves on a statutory basis. That is where we will make a huge difference in the lives of everyone in our areas and communities.