Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have to disagree with the Deputy. One complaint from the local authorities was that they could not progress schemes because they were unsure whether they had funding. I brought in the local authorities three years ago and gave them a list of what was coming down the line. They know now from year to year what schemes are actually coming.

Deputy Calleary knows it and I know it. He is the very person, to be fair to him, who would say it, as would his colleague and the Deputy from Sinn Féin, if I was allocating or giving money to the local authorities and they were not doing their job. Deputy Calleary knows how LEADER works. Any town in Ireland can get a grant from a LEADER company but the town cannot draw down that grant until the work is done. I have responsibility to the taxpayer. I have responsibility to Europe for the LEADER programme. I have responsibility to ensure the money is spent. By God, I have plenty of complaints - I deal with them on a regular basis - about LEADER companies that have not spent the money the way it should have been spent. We are getting cheques from Europe. Those responsible are coming in to check and see what is happening. The Deputy, the taxpayer, myself and the people of the country have to pay for it.

The schemes are in place and working but it takes some time for them to develop. One example is the rural regeneration scheme. We had shovel-ready schemes where we have grant-aided the money. Then, under the second scheme we gave local authority and State agencies, or whoever made the application, seed funding to get the applications up and running. That is what one has to do.

The Deputy should remember that we did not have money for many years and nor did we have these schemes for many years. The schemes are in palace now, as is the money. All I can say is that I am directing the local authorities. Some of the local authorities will be getting letters this week from me and they will not be Christmas cards. The letters will be telling them that the money they got in 2016 will be withdrawn because they have not spent it.

See this speech in context