Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister is aware, if we take two projects, one costing €140,000 and the other costing €160,000, a LAG can approve the former project without requiring Department approval, while the latter will require Department approval, even though there is not a great deal of difference in the costs involved. In one case the Department trusts the LAG to approve it but in the other case it can take up to seven months to obtain approval. Will the Minister agree that there are a large number of complaints from LAGs about the delays in approving projects over €150,000, and that the applications are lying around the Department and are not being processed? There is an urgency now, in view of the incredibly low spend that has been achieved under the rural development programme, in getting on with this job, approving projects and allowing companies to facilitate the applicants in proceeding with these projects. As the Minister is aware, for all non-community projects, the total maximum amount that can be approved is €200,000. Will the Minister tell me what is the magic difference between €150,000 and €200,000 that makes the approval process so slow and complicated for projects over €150,000, when all projects from zero to €150,000 can be approved solely by LAGs with no reference to the Department?

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