Taken from The Southern Star published Saturday, September 30th, 1995

Lee Valley and Owenabue included

West Cork will get a massive investment of £6.5 million, including £4 million from LEADER and $2.5 million from the private sector — to last it until the year 2,000. "Over the next four years, West Cork will get a great chance, but it must avail of that chance, because in the next century, there will be no more money left in the pot," said the Minister responsible for Rural Development, Mr. Jimmy Deenihan, at the launch of LEADER II in Clonakilty on Monday night.

The budget being given to the West Cork LEADER Co-Operative Society Ltd., £3.95 million, is the highest in the country, and is about double the allocation of that given to LEADER I. However, the area has vastly increased, taking in the new Lee Valley, Owenabue and Kinsale areas, and the time limit has doubled for spending, going from two years for the first project, to almost five years for LEADER II.

Community "animation" is the new buzz word, defined by the Minister as the process of "bringing stagnant or dead communities to life, invigorating a spirit of enterprise in all towns and villages, and encouraging a new awakening of resources."

He likened LEADER II to the early Co-operative movement, the initial GAA or even the Gaelic League. "That is the impact it seems to be having on rural areas," he said.

Minister Deenihan warned, at the inauguration signing ceremony at Fernhill House Hotel, that LEADER II had to be about more than grant-aid, if it was to be a success. "Funding projects is fine but when LEADER II is finished we want to see a series of local communities, which can think for themselves, identifying their own strengths, represent their own case and act for themselves."

Innovativeness, planning ability and implementation skills may be a problem, "more difficult to overcome than the lack of finance", he said, especially in areas with a history of emigration and with an ageing and dependent population.

To assist the various committees in the individual arena, there will be a total of seven, full-time, field officer "Animators", nationwide, going around to help, to guide and to assist in encouraging the much desired new "entrepreneurial culture", and the drawing up of projects.

NO TIPPERARYS

The Minister also stressed that "this time," with LEADER II, "we will get things right." "We want no more fiascos," he said. "We want no more Tipperarys."

One of the new, more-tightened controls, will be the elimination of the "flexibility clause." Mr. Deenihan said that several projects, not encouraged by European directives, such as golf-courses, were funded by LEADER I, under the flexibility clause. This won't be the case any longer, but if the scheme is good, there are enough safeguards, that it will not fail, for want of eligibility under a scheme, he said.

Mr. Kieran Calnan, Deputy CEO of South Western Services, said that overall, one could say that money should not be a great problem, if a scheme is good enough.

"I am convinced that there is adequate funding available under the various agencies and LEADER," he said. But he promised that all agencies would nonetheless work together to make sure there would be "no duplication."

The "most fundamental thing" is vibrant communities and the support they give, and the "development of our entrepreneurial talents", he said.

Two of the greatest resources were our educated young workforce and the link into the global village that technology can give to rural areas, said Mr. Calnan. He added that if jobs were to be lost in the agricultural sector, then to keep rural Ireland alive, they must be replaced in other ways.

In the very near future, a series of public meetings will be held in towns and villages, all over the new West Cork LEADER area, and individuals and communities will be invited to come to these, hear the new categories, and draw up submissions.

Under the scheme, the maximum grant-aid per project has dropped to £80,000. However, individual group leaders believe that with LEADER backing for any project, bank finance will not be a problem. All grant aid must be matched with private finance.

The Minister told the attendance of invited representatives that the reason West Cork netted the biggest allocation was "because of the strength and content of your plan." He said the submission content was "highly innovative and creative", and congratulated all involved.

Dr. Sean Crowley, CEO, South Western Services, Mr. Kieran Calnan, and Mr. John Verling, chairman of West Cork LEADER Co-op, were all commended, along with many more.

Present at the function were a number of chairpersons of local authorities, including Donal Cullinane, chairman of Clonakilty U.D.C., who welcomed the Minister and a number of politicians and County Councillors.

By ANNE RYAN

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