“Despite the fanfare surrounding the announcement that the European Commission had approved Irelands Rural Development Programme delivering €3.92 billion euro to rural Ireland up to 2020, we cannot lose sight of the fact that this represents a funding cut of over 30% to the rural economy in Ireland”. This was stated by Independent MEP Marian Harkin following the announcement by the European Commission of a final agreement on the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013.

She said:- “The cut in the budget from the EU is of the order of approximately 6%  whereas the cut in Irish Government co-funding is over €1.5 billion or approximately 40% of what was agreed for the 2007-2013 period. By any standards these are huge cuts and will have a very negative effect on farmers in particular, but also on the wider rural economy.

“LEADER companies since 2009 helped to create over 4,000 jobs during an unprecedented economic downturn. Despite the commitment by the government in the partnership agreement with the Troika ‘to ensure a job-rich recovery’, and the substantially higher unemployment rate in rural areas, the new Rural Development Programme has a target of just 3,000 jobs in the new politically controlled LEADER.

"These LEADER funding cuts will negatively effect funding for a range of projects including rural enterprise units, playgrounds, support for SME'S, rural tourism projects and all different types of Community projects etc. No amount of spinning can disguise the fact that the cuts have been savage and that rural enterprises and rural Ireland will suffer" Marian Harkin concluded.

Note to Editor: The following is a list of LEADER funding cuts by county:


Leader funding cuts by county:

Kildare 50%
Meath 54%
Galway 54%
Mayo 44%
Roscommon 21%
Louth 13%
Leitrim 41%
Sligo 21%
Cavan/Monaghan 18%
Donegal 36%
Laois 24%
Longford 8%
Offaly 25%
Westmeath 15%