Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom comhbhrón a dhéanamh le cairde agus muintir Jonathan Corrie, a fuarthas caillte ar an tsráid taobh amuigh anseo. Bhí sé uafásach brónach agus an-truamhéileach bheith in éineacht le cuid acu tráthnóna inné. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

I raise an issue which we have debated previously but it is important that we would do it again, namely, the Government's proposals on the rural development programme, RDP. I received a copy of a document containing the observations on the rural development programme from 2014 to 2020, which have come back from the Commission. It lists hundreds of issues the Commission has raised on the Government's proposals on the rural development programme. I was part of a delegation that travelled to Brussels recently to discuss the way the Leader programme is to be implemented. It would seem that the Commission is very much in line with what people on the ground in this country say, in particular the hill farmers who will protest about issues relating to the GLAS scheme in Castlebar on Friday. They are concerned at the way the rules on commonage will be imposed. They are also concerned at the way the Leader programme is to become more centralised through the local government structure. Given that 266 recommendations and-or questions have been raised by the EU Commission on the RDP, there is a need for a rethink on it. Many issues relating to it have been raised by Senators on all sides of the House. Perhaps we should have a debate on the recommendations that have been made and the clarification that has been sought in order that we can properly discuss the issue so that the rural development programme proposed by the State suits the needs of the people on the ground and is a good programme for the future.