Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank both members for raising very important points on the subheads. I welcome the Deputies' support for the Leader programme, which is recognised as a very important source of funding for rural development. For 2015, €45 million has been identified and secured to fund the Leader programme, comprising €30 million from the old programme and €15 million from the new programme. There is a commitment of €250 million for the seven years of the European development programme, 2014 to 2020, which is a substantial investment in rural development and is to be welcomed. As time progresses, there will be solid engagement on how it will be rolled out and invested.

Deputy Catherine Murphy’s points on oversight, keeping a close eye on how funding is spent and getting value for money are very important. We should constantly evaluate how public funds are spent and there are some very good examples from past Leader programmes of funding being spent very beneficially for rural communities. There have also been some examples of poor use of funds, and we must learn from them. The call for new local development strategies will be put out very soon. They will be evaluated by an independent evaluation committee which will lead to the establishment of the local action groups, from qualifying people who will know full well how best to spend the funds. This can be a very positive programme and I will welcome further engagement on it as the Leader programme is rolled out. I note the Chairman's points and my Department's officials will make every effort to resolve any outstanding issues of concern. I welcome any continuous engagement on it.

Deputy Stanley made a point on building regulations and weather. Climate change brings new challenges, and the improved building regulations the Government has adopted have led to better inspection regimes, and I hope they will lead to better standards. We need to build sustainable buildings that will be energy efficient and withstand any weather. We are all experienced enough to learn from the bad experiences with building contractors who leave much to be desired regarding standards. We also need to learn about the implications of development happening on flood plains and similar areas. We do not help ourselves by allowing this to happen. We can learn much about how best to plan for the future.

I note Deputy Catherine Murphy's points on storm damage. I described what happened last year as a one in 100 years event. None of us wants to see more hard storms. It is a challenge when it happens.

I take this opportunity to thank all those on the ground, especially local authority staff and officials and those in the emergency services, who responded at that time. The Department has a co-ordination task force led by Seán Hogan that has put in place a strategy to deal with crises in terms of emergencies. We learn all the time but we also need to evaluate all the time. I am satisfied that this funding has been provided to meet the needs of local authorities and our citizens. I thank the members of committee for their support.