Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yes, I have. I welcome the announcement by the Minister, Deputy Shatter, that Garda recruitment will commence next year. I know that he has not outlined how many new recruits will be taken into Templemore but I welcome the fact that, in principle, it will happen next year. It is a very welcome development.

Would the Leader invite the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, to the House to comment on the Leader programmes that are in operation around the country? It is a fact that they have had their budget slashed. While the funding was originally meant to be allocated between 2007 and 2013 it did not come on-stream until February 2009. The deadline for all of the money to be spent is 31 December. A circular has been received from the Department telling them not to approve any more projects. That is outrageous. The very least one should expect is that the programmes will be able to spend the money that was allocated to them two years later than it originally should have been. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister, Deputy Hogan, to the House so that we could have a debate in that regard.