Warnings of job losses if councils get control of local enterprise funds
Network chairman John Walsh has urged the Government to reconsider its plans to transfer control of LEADER and the Local Community Development Programme funding to local authorities through the newly formed Local Community Development Committees.
The network and the IFA have joined forces to voice their concerns over the lack of clarity surrounding the future delivery of the next round of the Rural Development Programme (LEADER) by local development companies.
John Walsh said: “This is of huge concern to our members as these proposed changes not only threaten the community-led, bottom-up approach used by local development companies in the delivery of programmes, but also because it threatens the capacity of local development companies to continue delivering services on the ground.
IFA rural development committee chairman Flor McCarthy added: “Local development companies have a proven track-record of delivering on the ground for rural communities. We are supportive of their work as it is a critical support to the development of rural enterprise in Ireland. Each rural local development company has an IFA representative sitting on its board and they are active contributors to the work of each company. Long may this continue.”
