Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

For the Senator's information, from 2017 to 2019, my Department allocated €21,235,551 to Monaghan. The outdoor recreation scheme is a fantastic scheme, which works well. I know the particular part of the county about which the Senator is talking. I am under a lot of political pressure from the Minister based in the constituency, as the Senator will understand. She puts a lot of pressure on me because she believes there is no other county than Monaghan. I like the outdoor recreation scheme and I want it to continue but I want to send a message to every single county council, including Monaghan County Council. I appreciate the Senator's very respectful approach today. The local authorities have had this money since last year and should have it spent. I have written to every local authority and I am starting to withdraw funding from them. They will be getting letters. Any authority that has not spent money it received in 2017 will have it withdrawn. There is no point in putting €110 million into the rural regeneration scheme, €25 million into the LEADER scheme, €68 million into the town and village scheme to carry out 830 projects, €43 million into the outdoor recreation scheme, and €32 million into the CLÁR programme if the authorities are not going to spend the money. I know the funding was not there for a number of years but it has been provided continuously in recent years. I want to send a message to Monaghan County Council and every other local authority. I will be looking at projects on which money has not been spent. I cannot allocate funding to councils that have not spent the money they have received.