Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy knows this. He has been around this House for long enough. I reject what he says about me spending the money. I have spent the money. It is the Leader companies, the local authorities and the people who have actually got the money that have not spent it. I am putting pressure on the local authorities on a daily and weekly basis. The Deputy and I both know that much work has been done. He should look at the LIS and the town and village renewal scheme. Much of that work has now been completed. Members of every local authority stand up and complain every day about not getting funding from the Government, yet the local authorities are not actually spending. I will look at the LIS again. I have a few other plans if the local authorities have not spent the money that has been allocated to them to by the end of the year.

The Deputy knows it is very difficult for me. I make the allocation. If we take the Leader companies, we were hoping to see a big improvement in the Leader programme this year. We have seen a big improvement in the number of projects that have been approved. When people get approval they then have to get the work done. They have to come in with receipts and the Department has to check that the money is spent. It is not the case that I have not worked with that programme or that we have not made the changes. It is not the case that we have not made it easier. It annoys me when I see money spent on administration and not on the programme itself.

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