Dáil debates

Tuesday, 22 November 2022

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Rural Schemes

11:50 pm

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State said, "As is the case with the current LEADER programme, the subregional areas for the new LEADER programme will correspond ... [to] county boundaries." The Acting Chair can tell him that the LEADER programme in Cork corresponds to the county boundaries but in three parts, which are contiguous. I will address the matter of Galway in the context of the county boundary and leave aside the islands for a minute, which are a separate issue. Leaving the islands aside, we are saying we will stay within the county boundary but we want two subregional areas because our two subregional areas will have two companies that are not contiguous. They do not physically touch each other on land. The difference, of course, is €3 million. That is a significant difference to the county. I will not get into an argument or be drawn down blind alleys that will go into funny money games in terms of this LEADER programme versus the last. The Minister of State is absolutely right that the last LEADER programme was not great.

The next issue I will address is that of the islands. We all love the islands. Everybody says they love the islands. People are still crying after the loss of the Blasket Islands, Inishark and other islands and their populations. When it comes to the islands, however, we often have the talk, and people will talk the talk but will not walk the walk. The reality is islanders are underwhelmed by all these complicated provisions that mean nothing to development on the ground. They will tell you that the last LEADER programme did not work as the previous ones did. It was not funded as the previous ones were. In one sentence, four things are wrong with the programme; money; headquarters that mean employment on the islands, which is very hard to come by; an island plan for islanders; and the fact this is what the offshore islands want because the islanders know what is good for them for their survival into the future.

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