DONEGAL'S Leader groups such as Inishowen
Development Partnership are under threat from new
Government proposals, an MEP warned today.
Independent MEP., Marian Harkin said the proposals
would essentially involve putting community Leader
organisations under the control of county managers.
She said the move would "wipe out 20 years of
experience" gained by Leader groups in the delivery
of EU programmes locally.
Ms Harkin was commenting following a meeting between
Leader groups and MEPs in Brussels this week.
"The fancy name for this new process is alignment,
but it's really a takeover, transferring local
delivery of Leader funds to boards nominated under
the auspices of the local authority and county
manager."
Ms Harkin claimed: "The reason for this is that
local authorities are strapped for cash, and I
believe this is seen as an opportunity to use the EU
as a mechanism to help fund local authority approved
projects rather than an investment in community and
in citizens."
She added: "My disagreement is not at all with local
authorities but with a centralised department who
wants to see the politicians' fingerprints on every
cent of EU money."
Ms Harkin said Ireland was seen as a role model in
this area.
"The crazy thing is that the current Irish system is
seen as a model of best practice at European level.
The European Court of Auditors has endorsed it, the
European Commission supports it, yet we are about to
change it.
"In this, the European Year of Citizens, it makes a
mockery of citizens to take this structure away, and
all under the heading 'putting people first," the
North and West MEP said. |
