Lorraine Higgins (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. I wish to raise the need for him to clarify the employment position of Leader and community funded scheme employees. I have concerns that the proposed realignment process his Department is undertaking as part of his local government reform agenda will lead to direct job losses without this group and the loss of economic opportunity in communities throughout Ireland. I would like to outline the importance of these groups to towns such as my own, Athenry, County Galway, where more than 30 people are employed at the Mellows Campus, Galway Rural Development Company Limited, GRD, through the Leader programme and Tús, rural social scheme and other schemes. Athenry has fallen victim to the recession and up to 30 commercial units are vacant. We cannot endure further losses of economic activity in the town. Thirty fewer people frequenting the place could have an adverse effect on local businesses and place them in jeopardy.

However, another worrying matter has been brought to my attention. I understand when the alignment working group sought expressions of interest, it forgot or did not include local action groups in my area as part of this process. Only the county council was requested to participate in the process. This is unfair and it is important that these groups get an opportunity to address some submissions by other parties which may implicate or affect them. The fairest way would be for the country council, GRD and other community funded schemes in County Galway to submit a combined expression of interest. I ask the Minister respectfully to consider this.

I would appreciate it if he would clarify what will happen to the employees in the eventuality of a consolidation of services within the county council structure.