Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Following last night’s “RTÉ Investigates” programme, I again raise issues of transparency, as I have done on numerous previous occasions in the period from 2017 until now, regarding the funding announced in the context of the rural regeneration and development fund and other funds administered by the Department Rural and Community Development. In late 2019, three projects worth €6.8 million in total were announced for County Mayo while the whole of County Cork received €2.6 million. All of that money went in total to north-west Cork, while west Cork got nothing despite the fact that it had a shovel-ready project in the pipeline in the same year. Can the Minister assure me that funding under the rural regeneration and development fund was approved on the basis of the merits of the projects that were put forward and that no political influence was involved? What investigations will be carried out by the Government in respect of the funding irregularities exposed by the “RTÉ Investigates” programme last night?

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