Rónán Mullen (Independent)

——níl le rá agam anseo inniu ach credit where credit is due, go bhfuil sé go maith dúinn a rá gur dea-scéala atá anseo, amach is amach. Feicim ar an gclár go bhfuil maoiniú de €425 milliún ar fáil, 55% de sin ag teacht ón Aontas Eorpach, agus 45% ón Státchiste, dar ndóigh. Mar atá ráite ag go leor daoine anseo cheana, tá sé seo beagnach trí oiread an méid a bhí ar fáil san gclár deireanach agus an pacáiste is mó riamh le h-aghaidh forbairt tuaithe. Dar ndóigh, mar atá ráite ag an Aire, dáilfidh gach cheann de na grúpaí áitiúla maoiniú ar ghrúpaí pobail agus daoine féin aonaracha i gceantair tuaithe le h-aghaidh an réimse gníomhaíocta atá le maoiniú faoin gclár seo. Sé an rud is tábhactaí i mo thuairimse ná gur deis í seo chun níos mó postanna áitiúla inmharthana agus ceantair tuaithe a fhorbairt, go háirithe san earnáil thairgeoirí beaga bia agus in áineas tuaithe.

In more constrained economic times we should welcome this as a good news story. We have three times the previous spend available under the previous programme, which ran from 2000 to 2006, as well as funding of €425 million and this has to be good news for rural Ireland.

I compliment the Minister on the great work he does and on his intense focus on the needs of rural communities. From his background in working with co-operatives, it is difficult to imagine someone more suited to the brief. I am sure thanks are owed not just to the Minister. I acknowledge the fact that this is one of the good news stories.

Many of us are involved in a debate at the moment on the impact of the European Union on Irish affairs, and many people have concerns that one hopes will be addressed in the weeks and months ahead. They will be matters for discussion at the level of the Sub-committee on Ireland's Future in the European Union, of which I am a member, and I hope it will be the subject of a discussion between the Government and our European partners to see how we may assert our positive European identity. In a way that takes account of the fact that we have distinctive traditions and want the freedom to operate in certain areas and so forth. It is very easy when one is involved in a debate such as that to focus only on the challenges and the potential negatives. We should never lose sight of the fact that the European Union has made so many things possible for our country. We can see that this continues, and it is particularly visible with the LEADER funding, where 55% comes from the European Union and 45% from the Exchequer.

As a son of rural Ireland, I am supportive of anybody, anything or any institution that takes to heart in a serious manner the importance of making life better in rural Ireland and increasing the viability and attractiveness of life there. I am also anxious we do that in sustainable ways. As we make money available to people and bodies for activities such as the upgrading of parks, civic areas or river walks — there are a million things one could mention — it is good we see that in the context of concern and care for the environment, and that the development we support and champion enhances the quality of our environment, which is of benefit not only to rural dwellers but also to the wider community. We should continue to pursue those goals in a sustainable way.

Níl sé i gceist agam níos mó ná sin a rá, seachas tréaslú leis an Aire as ucht an dea-scéala seo. Tá súil agam go mbeidh rath Dé ar obair na ngrúpaí éagsúla ar fud na tíre a chuirfidh isteach le haghaidh acmhainní, tacaíochta agus maoinithe ón scéim.