By Lisa O’Donnell

Local development companies took to the streets of Dublin last week to protest against new government proposals which will threaten the LEADER programme.

The proposed policy will mean that these local development companies, such as Avondhu Blackwater Partnership and Ballyhoura Development, will no longer be able to apply for the LEADER programme, as its delivery will be transferred to newly established committees within each county council area.

Over 3,000 people attended the protest outside the Dail on Wednesday 9th July, a turnout which reflects the importance of the issue to local communities, according to Ballyhoura Development Chairman, John Walsh.

“The LEADER Rally at the Dáil was a huge success and the fact that over 3000 community members from across the country were there is a clear sign to Minister Hogan that this is a very important issue for rural communities, and not just for local development companies,” he told The Avondhu.

Barry Curtain, community representative and volunteer at Avondhu Blackwater Partnership, said that the new proposal ‘makes no sense’ considering the huge success the LEADER programme and its ‘bottom-up’ system has had since its establishment in 1991.

“Before everything was always political and always placed due to population,” he said. “Since then there has there has been equal and open access to funding. From a European point of view the ‘bottom-up’ system is the best in Europe.”

Local development companies are protesting against these new proposals as they believe that they will have significant negative consequences on small communities and that this new policy is ‘taking away empowerment’ from rural Ireland.

“The bottom line is, all we can look at is what was there 20 years ago, and that was very little,” Barry said. “This is a bridge too far for rural Ireland. It is the final insult.”

John from Ballyhoura Development added that they are still happy to continue working in partnership with the local authorities like they have been doing for the past two decades.

“However, the proposed government policy of moving the LEADER programme to the local authorities is a retrograde step and one which will see the economic, social and community development of rural communities taken out of the hands of community members,” he said.

Despite the recent tension between the government and community development companies, John expressed the hope that the appointment of Alan Kelly will help to solve the issue.

“We welcome the appointment of Alan Kelly as the new Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, and look forward to working with him to bring the negotiations to a satisfactory conclusion,” he concluded.

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