The programme for Government contained firm commitments on the delivery of a Leader programme to rural communities. However, due to the rules and regulations imposed on the programme by the Government the Leader programme is simply not working. The rural development programme is turning into an over-bureaucratic rural administration programme. With regard to the expressions of interest in projects, there is a 60% fall-off before commitment to apply for a project. We are now ten months into the scheme and in County Tipperary not one contract has been signed and not one cent has been spent. Under the previous programme after nine months of the south Tipperary Leader programme 49 projects had commenced with a grant value of €720,000. This is happening across the country so it is clear that the rules and regulations under the current Leader programme are preventing rural communities from accessing this funding.

The Minister, Deputy Heather Humphreys, met the Leader groups approximately three weeks ago and she has simplified the programme. She has made 32 changes. I will be taking over the Leader programme and I hope this will simplify it. I hope there will be more applications and less bureaucracy.