Local action groups to increase

ARISING from the most recent letter from Kathy Sinnott MEP (November 5) I wish to again clarify that the proposed number of local action groups to deliver the new integrated Rural Development Programme, which supersedes LEADER+, is being increased to 40, not being reduced to 22 as Ms Sinnott claimed.

No confusion exists at local action group level. Under the old system, 22 groups were EU co-funded and 14 exchequer-funded. Ms Sinnott claimed Minister Ó Cuív was reducing the number to 22 when, in fact, he is increasing the number of LEADER groups to 40.

Moreover, the European rural development funding is not robbing Peter to pay Paul by taking from agriculture. Farmers are also rural dwellers, and enjoy the benefits of rural development programmes more than any other rural dwellers.

All axis one funding assists initiatives such as farm retirement, forestry, REPS, etc, and goes directly to farmers. Axis two funds environment projects such as farmyard pollution control, etc. Much of axis three funding, which goes to LEADER, also finds its way to farmers, and rightly so. It helps increase family farm incomes, for example, by providing local enterprises to employ members of farming families, to help farmers diversify into other off-farm income-generating activities.

All LEADER companies operate the Rural Social Scheme, giving part-time off-farm employment to 2,600 small holders, enabling them to stay on the land. These are just a few examples of how local action groups are helping to maintain life in rural Ireland, of which farming is an important part.

Rural development funding complements mainstream agricultural funding rather than competing with it, and gets better results than the system Ms Sinnott voted for.

Jack Roche

Rockchapel

Co Cork