Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this debate on the future of the Leader programme. In common with many former members of local authorities, I have served on the board of a number of Leader companies, including the Galway Rural Development Company and Forum Connemara. My experience of both companies but particularly Forum Connemara, on the board of which I served latterly, was that they were exceptional companies, doing great work with great staff and which were involved in the community approach from the bottom up. They involved themselves in support, in identifying and promoting projects and I certainly hope this will continue, whatever reform takes place.

I welcome the allocation of 7% of the rural development programme to Leader, which is 2% over the minimum. This will allow €235 million to be spent in the period up to 2020. In addition, two schemes will be funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, which will bring total expenditure to €250 million. As I stated, the Leader companies have provided great support to projects but I can perceive a role for the local authorities in trying to ensure better value for money and that more money will be available for the projects themselves, rather than on their administration.

Many details remain to be ironed out on the role of the SECs and the future and still undecided role of elected members who, like me, used to serve on the board of Leader companies and whether they will have an oversight role. In their view, they have been elected and as such have a greater insight into the needs of their communities. Will the role of elected members be confined to an audit role? I am interested to know the final details which will be ironed out in the negotiations with the ILD and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.

I refer to issues in the past in my area of Connemara with Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta which went into liquidation. Its role was taken over by Comhar na nOileán which is doing a good job. There was an unfortunate time lag with regard to the provision of funding in the Gaeltacht area. The Department and the Minister is anxious that all funding is expended but, unfortunately, in my view, there was an over-redistribution of funds from the Gaeltacht areas to other areas in the country which has not been addressed. I have identified to the Minister this issue of a funding shortfall in the Gaeltacht area which, in my view, needs to be investigated. I appreciate what happened was outside the control of the Minister and the Department but the time lag was unfortunate and by the time Comhar na nOileán was up and running, the scheme was put into abeyance pending the review. Unfortunately, the allocations were redistributed. Other speakers have mentioned that there should be an allocation over and above the 100% allocation to ensure that those projects which fall by the wayside will have sufficient funding to spend.

Another issue of concern raised at meetings is that the Leader companies are private companies which cannot be scrapped by the Minister. They carry out a range of services under the auspices of the HSE and the Department of Social Protection, such as meals on wheels and rural social schemes, and these will not be affected by any changes enacted by the realignment. This is an important point which is not widely publicised and concerns about the realignment are being expressed by elderly people and participants in the schemes.

Letterfrack is more than one hour away from County Buildings in Galway, the same distance as Dublin to Dundalk or to Gorey, and it would not happen in that case. There is a concern that the local structure, the bottom-up approach which has served Connemara and the Letterfrack area well, needs to be retained.

The islands have been served by Comhar na nOileán. Those who live on the islands believe they have more in common with other islands than with the people living on the mainland. For example, the Aran islands and Inishbofin would have more in common with each other than with Connemara. Their existing structures should be maintained and they should be able to engage at board level for the good of all the islands.

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