219 Mr. Bree asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry whether the audited annual accounts of the Leader companies involved in the Leader 1 programme will be made available for public inspection in the interests of openness and transparency; the reason the audited annual accounts of the Leader companies, which were lodged with his Department by the groups involved in the Leader 1 programme, have not been made available for public inspection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20251/96]

Under the terms of their agreements with my Department the Leader 1 groups were required to publicise their activities in their areas. Many of the groups produced annual reports, including audited annual accounts, which were available to the public. In addition, as incorporated bodies, the groups are subject to legal requirements to submit annual accounts to the Companies Office or the Registrar of Friendly Societies, as appropriate, where the material is available for inspection by the public.