A Sligo/Leitrim Fianna Fail TD is hitting out at what he says is the small amount of LEADER funding actually being spent on community and rural projects when compared to the budgets available.
LEADER is a multi-annual programme with a total budget of €250m for 2014-2020. €220m of this has been allocated to local action groups, who deliver the LEADER programme.
But Deputy Marc MacSharry says it’s ‘shocking’ that only €17m has been spent on actual project expenditure.
He is demanding to know what is stopping funds getting to local communities that need it.
He says that only 19% of the overall budget has been spent in Sligo, 19% in Leitrim and 29% in Donegal.
