Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. I look forward to receiving the information which will be very helpful. It would be remiss of me not to raise with the Minister today another issue related to EU funding.

While it is not exactly the European Regional Development Fund, I refer to the severe cut in funding to the Leader projects that were announced this week. Although a lovely cup of tea from a teapot with everything set out was served somewhere in County Tipperary to give the impression that there is great funding, the bottom line is there has been a 43% cut in Leader funding under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020. All counties have seen huge cuts, with County Cork suffering a reduction in funding of up to 72%. The impact will be severe and while there will be a lot of good spin with regard to rural development, the reality is of a cut of 43% in that funding, which is a key component. Moreover, it is one of the most visible funds people see throughout the country.

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