Proposals ‘will dilute rural interests’

RURAL interests will be seriously diluted in the proposals by Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Minister Eamon Ó Cuiv to realign LEADER companies and social inclusion programmes into one structure, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association warned yesterday.

ICMSA Rural Development Committee chairman Tommy Cooke said the merging of rural development and social-inclusion programmes is not a natural fit and the broad-based focus of the former is likely to be damaged by the marriage.

He said the proposals will effectively eliminate existing high-performing LEADER groups, which have proven their worth in rural development, and establish new county-based structures with no track record.