Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I will be more than willing to listen. We are continuing to pay interim funding and we can do so for up to two years. This is because the Department is still paying out on the last programme. As long as the companies are still carrying out significant work, it is within our power to pay them. In 2007, nearly €6 million was made available to Leader groups for additional project funding.

The continuation of interim administrative funding is reviewed on an ongoing basis by my Department in the context of the completion of the work and the roll-out of the new rural development programme. There was a delay, but it was better to go through the process. I got a letter from the EU, through its permanent representative, clearly stating that our departmental procedures were fine. We are now proceeding on that basis. I am also delighted that the cohesion process is now going ahead in Cavan and Monaghan.

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