Minister confirms complaint to European Commission by West Cork Development Partnership
Meanwhile, Departmental officials will be questioned by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht on the process and the rationale behind their decisions not to appoint Comhar na nOileán and the West Cork Development Partnership (WCDP) as LEADER rural development organisations, according to Committee chairman Peadar Tóibín, TD.
“The Commission has written to my Department requesting additional information on this matter, and my Department will assist the Commission in obtaining any information or clarification required,” Ms Humphreys told the Dail last week.
She was replying to a question from Cork South West Independent TD Michael Collins, asking why the West Cork Development Partnership which successfully delivered LEADER funding for 20 years, was not allowed to roll out the new programme.
Ms Humphreys said the selection process was open to any group that wished to develop a local development strategy and be considered as a local action group.
Where expressions of interest and local development strategies were submitted by more than one interested party, an independent selection committee selected strategies. In west Cork, the strategy submitted by West Cork Local Community Development Committee was selected, after assessment of submissions from it and from WCDP.
This decision was appealed by WCDP and reviewed by an independent third party, who concluded that agreed procedures had been followed.
As a result, the original decision of the selection committee stood.
Ms Humphreys said the LEADER programme for 2014-20 will be delivered in the west Cork sub-regional area by West Cork LCDC in conjunction with implementing partners, Avondhu Blackwater Partnership CLG, Comhar na nOileán Teoranta, and South and East Cork Area Development Partnership Limited. “A funding agreement has issued to West Cork LCDC and I expect that LEADER funding will commence in west Cork from November 1.”
