Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As I stated, my fear is based on the possibility to construe that there has been a failure to plan effectively in this regard. The Minister of State obviously will contradict that, which is her right and is understandable as long as she can back it up with factual figures bearing out the point. Can the Minister of State give an absolute commitment to Members, to Leader companies nationwide and, by association, the public who can derive benefits from such funds that can have the positive impact the programme was meant to have in the areas for which it is designed, that there will be no loss in funding by the State with regard to the allocation that comes towards the Leader programme in its entirety?

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