LIMERICK Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins has described the new LEADER programme as an absolute shambles and a bureaucratic nightmare.
Deputy Collins, who is the party spokesman on Jobs and Enterprise, told the Limerick Post that although the latest scheme was launched in 2014, there has been no project expenditure to date.
He said it as “almost inconceivable” that no money has been spent on approved LEADER projects more than three and a half years after the new programme was rolled out.
To date, 15 projects have been approved for LEADER funding in Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly and Sligo with a total value of €308 million. There has also been 3,953 expressions of interest from potential applicants, with an estimated value of €183 million.
94 of those were recorded from Limerick under LEADER 2014-2020, valued at just over €8 million.
“It’s a damning indictment of the Department and the completely ineffective way that it’s being run. Despite the fact that a substantial amount of money has been provided for LEADER this year, only a fraction of it will be spent on projects this year as it usually takes a number of months for this money to be drawn down once it’s approved,” he explained.
“The new LEADER programme is an absolute shambles and a bureaucratic nightmare. There are up to 18 stages involved in the assessment process as well as endless red tape as there are several groups involved in the approval process, even for very small grants,” he added.
“Minister Heather Humphreys needs to completely overhaul the LEADER programme structure to ensure that all of the money can be spent expeditiously and unnecessary layers of bureaucracy can be removed.
“LEADER was designed to be a community programme, but it has been dominated by red tape rather than tangible action. I will be continuing to press this issue with Minister Humphreys to ensure that LEADER companies are given the opportunity to do the job they were appointed to do.”
by Alan Jacques
