Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

To answer the last question first, I am happy that will happen. To broaden the debate, the Minister of State, Deputy White, and I have been discussing concerns Deputy Ring and others have brought to our attention about difficulties that clients of Leader companies seem to be encountering. Over the past number of weeks we have been in discussions with our officials and others to see where we can identify best practice and where the difficulties are. Access to credit is one of them, about that there is no doubt. We had some useful meetings in recent weeks at which we asked the officials to explore how that difficulty can be overcome. When we meet the groups in the middle of July we hope we will be able to encourage and support them in trying to get through the different aspects of that difficulty.

I have spoken to the Minister for Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy O'Keeffe. There are great ideas being circulated but there has been a difficulty in drawing down funding. I spoke to a senior official in charge of the programme yesterday and I gather that, for whatever reason, there is an improved flow of funds going out at this stage. The approval of the Department of Finance is for €40 million next year and required an assurance from us that we could deliver the spending of it. I am fairly confident that will be the case because the potential of the programmes is enormous and can have a transformational effect in rural communities.

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