Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Despite the incredible spin on the part of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Kelly, on Monday last and by the Government in the context of various announcements regarding the rural development programme, the reality is that Leader funding for rural communities throughout the country has been slashed in an incredible manner by the Government in its programme for the period 2014 to 2020. The funding in question has been cut by 43%, which means that towns and villages in rural areas will lose services relating to child care and rural transport and supports for start-up businesses. The cuts to which I refer are absolutely brutal in terms of the sheer scale involved. Some €376 million was allocated under the programme for the period 2007 to 2013 but under the new programme, which covers the period 2014 to 2020, the allocation is only €220 million.

As far as I can see, funding for all counties - with the exception of two - is going to be savagely cut. Incredibly, County Cork is going to lose up to 71% of its funding. I do not know what the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney was doing when that decision was made. Perhaps he was fast asleep at the wheel.

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