People power can never be underestimated and when 400 people turn up at a public meeting in Mayo to support a cause that has changed so many of their lives, then a clear and concise message must be taken from that.
The future of a local development company in Mayo could be in jeopardy if it loses the contract to apply for LEADER funding and administer that same fund.
South West Mayo Development Company (SWMDC ) called a public meeting in Claremorris this week to bring to light the impact that Minister Phil Hogan’s Putting People First proposals could have on an organisation that has served the people of Mayo so well for 22 years.
During its time, SWMDC has administered four successful LEADER programmes, overseeing a budget of €50 million with the creation of 500 jobs. Its record speaks for itself.
But now the Minister is seeking to create these new socio-economic committees under the auspices of county councils to roll out the next LEADER programme.
The fear however is that these unproven committees will be inexperienced in delivering LEADER and will not have the wealth of knowledge or community backing that SWMDC, and other local development companies, have built up over the years.
The LEADER programme is a European programme which was built on the ideas that SWMDC exists. They are volunteerism and local decision making in a non-political way.
The fear, should LEADER be administered by county council-led committees, is that decisions will be influenced by public representatives’ agendas and not for the benefit of the ordinary citizen of rural Ireland.
Granted, there may be local development companies operating who do not have the same exemplary track record that SWMDC enjoys, but if reform is coming then maybe the Government should take SWMDC as a model to be rolled out across the country.
And SWMDC themselves recognise that reform is needed and they have been proactive in putting forward solutions but their biggest fear is that LEADER will be taken away from them thus threatening their very existence.
At Monday night’s meeting an excellent example of how all strands of the work of SWMDC can benefit one project was portrayed. From providing training, to an initial application for funding, to providing back up support through the Rural Social Scheme, there are so many strings to the bow of SWMDC that if one is removed then the whole process becomes disjointed and fragmented. Take LEADER out of the equation and the holistic service that is now provided by SWMDC would be no more. That is a real and significant fear of the co-ordinators of SWMDC and of the general public who know just how fantastic a company it is.
Then you have to look at the cost of administration, and Deputy John O’Mahony claimed on Monday night that currently 20 per cent of LEADER funding is being tied up in administration. And with future LEADER funding being rumoured to be cut by up to a half, efficiencies need to be found to ensure that communities don’t miss out.
That said, local authorities would never be applauded for being the most efficiently run enterprises and with guidelines on procurement where 80 per cent is sourced nationally and 20 per cent locally, there are fears that they will be unable to direct their purchasing powers to local suppliers. Surely that is not a good backdrop for administering a European fund the aim of which is to bolster rural economies and improve quality of life in rural areas. Obviously the two are separate functions of the council but an autonomous, non-political organisation like SWMDC is surely the best platform to continue to make a significant contribution to sustaining the rural economy, communities and environment.
