Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. Is he satisfied that funding in various parts of the country has been proportionate to activity levels to date? Does he envisage that there will have to be a reallocation of funding between the different companies as time goes on? I am very glad we have two good companies in my constituency actively promoting the LEADER programme. As the Minister is well aware, areas such as Cavan-Monaghan face particular difficulties because of Brexit. Communities in these areas are fearful of the adverse impacts of Brexit on business, commerce and enterprise. If funding is reallocated or additional funding becomes available in any circumstances, I ask that the Minister give particular consideration to the needs of Border communities because what helped local communities in the Border area in the worst of times was the enterprise of local communities which were trying to draw down funding from the International Fund for Ireland and through different INTERREG programmes. There is a good community infrastructure to put public funding to good use. If any additional funding becomes available, I make a special plea to the Minister to consider the needs of my constituency of Cavan-Monaghan because we are on the frontier of a different jurisdiction which will, in future, be in a different trade zone.

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