Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The LEADER programme is a key rural development for supporting the economic, social and environmental development of our communities and provides the resources necessary for rural communities to support their own development and create capacity at local level. For more than 30 years, this LEADER programme, delivered by the local development companies, has maximised the drawdown of the money available and the impact of the EU funds to create jobs in rural Ireland and develop rural communities in keeping with the LEADER approach. This programme has been evaluated as an excellent and successful funding mechanism by the European Union institutions.

The aim of the LEADER programme 2023 to 2027, as identified in the draft CAP strategic plan, is to continue to support community-led local development and this approach to rural development, by animating and funding initiatives that emerge at local level to address local challenges and needs. It is very worrying to think that the draft CAP strategic plan, which is now out there in the domain, is allocating an indicative budget of €180 million. This is a reduction of €250 million from the previous programme and €425 million from the 2013 programme.

Many rural communities have benefitted enormously from this LEADER programme. We are flying in the face of rural development and the rural future if we reduce the LEADER funding, when we have highlighted it in Our Rural Future as a key enabler to developing rural Ireland. Many people have benefited and many jobs have been created throughout the country from this. Even in the Tánaiste's time as Minister for Social Protection, he saw some of the great work that was being done as he travelled the country.

It is important we look at this funding and how much money we are now giving out, bearing in mind that inflation has not been taken into account. If one adds up what is happening here, we are less than halving the funding available in the next five years from what was available in 2009 to 2013. It is worrying and a wrong indication to be giving. I ask the Tánaiste to look at the funding and look to make sure we are providing an adequate source of funding to a scheme that is successful, has the management skills from the local development companies on the ground, has built up the expertise and is creating real changes in our communities.

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