Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

Most of the companies have now been set up under the new structure. As the Deputy is aware, the Leader company in Cavan-Monaghan wrote to the EU. They wrote to us and we replied to them. I hope to move ahead very shortly and announce the programme. The good thing is that full funding for the programme is still preserved so no matter when we start, it is still there for the 2007-2013 period so the money is secured. I am very anxious to proceed with this.

Nobody has ever criticised any work carried out by Leader companies or partnerships. People always tell us that we have too many bodies out there. All I would maintain is that in the overall scheme of things, it is better to have the one agency delivering the partnership, the rural social scheme and the Leader programmes in any one given area. It is better for the community and at the end of the day, I always look to what the ordinary person on the side of the street would like and I think they like the idea of one community-based partnership agency being able to provide all the services.

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