Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this matter and the Minister for coming to the House.

There has been some confusion on the question of community project funds through the Leader programme. While this issue was raised briefly at Question Time, I seek further clarification. A headline in the Connacht Tribune three weeks ago read, "Galway takes an €18 million hit in community project funds", while it was stated in the article that "Leader groups face a race against time for sanction of schemes as EU deadline looms". There was great concern that, if this was to be the case, it could be another four years before projects could be considered for funding under a new Leader programme. There was also a feeling that not all of the European moneys would be drawn down. While that is one view, another from the people in the east Galway rural development office was that while they had a budget of €12 million which was agreed to by the Minister and while there was funding towards enterprise and community measures, there were 40 existing applications for projects which would cost close to €5 million, with only €1.5 million to allocate. Of course, there are many other community groups which wish to apply and cannot do so if that is the position.

This has been a very successful scheme. I can point to a project in my own parish of Caltra where the community centre is almost complete and where there is a very successful relationship with the Leader company. The project has involved a lot of fundraising which is still ongoing and I hope we will be able not only to develop the community centre but also to have a sports field and other facilities when the centre is complete.

The article in the Connacht Tribune went on to discuss not only the situation in east Galway but also that of Comhar na nOileán in the Connemara Gaeltacht area which only has €4 million to allocate by the end of the year. Forum Connemara has an allocation of €7.7 million, of which it has spent €1.9 million, leaving it with a balance of approximately €5 million to allocate. Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta which shut last year had only paid out €1.9 million of its €4 allocation. This raises many questions. The same newspaper contained another article in which it was stated, "Development groups claim centralisation of Leader programmes will put rural communities back 30 years".

These concerns are coming to a head. I ask the Minister to clarify these issues and assure rural communities that the good work being done will be allowed to continue. I hope he will be able to sanction other projects and, most importantly, allow other groups to make applications where they believe funding will be made available for either enterprise or community measures.

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