Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I listened to the Minister's remarks about the various moneys that have been spent. They are all very welcome, but we must also look at regional spend. I have repeatedly quoted the report of the Northern and Western Regional Assembly which looked at regional imbalances. The report was produced on foot of the downgrading by the European Commission of the region's categorisation from a developed region to a region in transition. There are many statistics in the report. I do not have time to go through them now but they show the lesser spend per capita, whether in terms of health infrastructure or education infrastructure or per kilometre of local, regional and national roads. When we talk about spending, I believe we have to look at a balanced regional spend.

One way in which the Minister might help to deliver that balance of regional development is to involve the Northern and Western Regional Assembly as the lead agency in allocating the approximately €350 million which is allocated to the region under cohesion funds. It has launched the Let's Be More campaign to ensure more localised investment and more action to facilitate local entrepreneurship, research and development, etc. The Minister and I know that the centralised mindset has not delivered balanced regional development. I think we have an opportunity to change that now. The Government has committed to so doing.

I refer to the issue of the LEADER programme. The Minister stated that €44 million will be available next year to fund existing projects and develop a transition programme. That is good, but I am seeking clarity because, six weeks out from the end of the programme, the individual local action groups, LAGs, cannot plan individually from the point of view of administration, etc., because they do not know what their specific allocation will be. Has the Department done any indicative calculation or estimate for project payout in 2021 or for administration and animation in 2021? I am sure it has done so. When one adds those two figures together, what is left for the new transition programme that is planned? Of course, that is also a commitment in the programme for Government, which states:

We will support a LEADER Programme and deliver a Rural Development Programme which is led by independent Local Action Groups and supported by Local Community Development Committees.

I know from long experience in the European Parliament that it took the intervention of senior officials in the European Commission to ensure the tendering scheme for the current LEADER programme was open, transparent and equitable. The Government has committed to a LEADER programme led by LAGs. That must be delivered. Any review that is being considered must start from that principle and must not be used as a mechanism to dilute that commitment.

Deputy Mattie McGrath put it much more colourfully than I could when he stated that certain Ministers felt communities were getting too big for their boots. I certainly know that was true. Ireland's LEADER programme was assessed by the European Court of Auditors as being one of the best. What did we do? We largely got rid of community involvement. I hope the Minister will deliver on the commitment in the programme for Government and restore that community involvement.

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