Funding delivered

Merger talks near conclusion

Anna-Marie Flynn

THE LARGEST ever rural development funding package was announced last week – and Mayo’s share looks set to be distributed by two integrated development companies in the county, rather than the five that previously existed.
Last week, after considerable delay, Minister Eamon Ó Cuív finally rolled out the staggering package of €425.4 million – almost treble the amount of the last programme.
Local Action Groups have now been invited to administer this grant, and are asked to submit business plans for their local areas that will be assessed by independent evaluators.
The funding is now set to see Minister Eamon Ó Cuív’s plans for streamlining local resource companies across the county become a reality. As part of the cohesion process, under the National Development Plan 2007-2013, the Minister has requested a change in the current system where several agencies are delivering Leader and Partnership (Local Development Social Inclusion Programme  (LDSIP)) programmes.  The Minister is streamlining the process to have no more than two companies distributing such Government projects in each county.
One of two companies has now been established in Mayo, but talks are continuing on the formation of the second company. In a statement to The Mayo News, Minister Ó Cuív said:  “Local agreement on an integrated company has been reached in the south of Mayo. Attempts to find a local agreement for a structure for the north of Mayo are ongoing.”
The companies involved in the restructuring include Western Rural Development Company, Meitheal Mhaigheo Teo, Moy Valley Resources LDP, Kiltimagh IRD and South West Mayo Development Company.  The groups effectively consist of separate companies delivering either Leader or partnership programmes.
Manager of Moy Valley Resources LDP, Padraig Brennan, confirmed that negotiations were in progress in the area and said he was hopeful that a positive outcome to the cohesion process would be reached ‘within a short period of time, even in the next month or two’, to ensure the region’s programmes are delivered as soon as possible.