Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. Like others, I thank Deputy Ó Cuív for his foresight in bringing to the floor of this House the concerns of many communities and enterprises across the country and in providing an opportunity to put the case to the Minister, Deputy Hogan, and the Government that at this late stage it is not too late to pull back, turn around and come forward with a different proposal. It is clear that the vast majority of those involved in the distribution of Leader funds and those who receive them believe what the Minister is doing is wrong and it is not too late to change. It is not broken and I cannot understand why the Minister is trying to fix a system that has worked exceptionally well.

I, too, reject the approach that the Minister or the Department has taken in trying to undermine the Leader companies by publishing their expenses and salaries in a way to somehow suggest that the administrative costs are out of kilter with the work that is being done.

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