By Gillian McVeigh
gillian@monaghanpost.com

THE announcement of the trebling of funds under the Rural Development Programme will have very significant impact on rural communities in Counties Cavan and Monaghan, according to Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith.

Funding of over €425.2 million has been announced by Minister Smith’s colleague, Eamon O’Cuiv, TD Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. The funds will be channeled through Local Action Groups to support and facilitate the continued development of rural communities throughout the country. This accounts for a trebling of what was available under the last Programme from 2000 to 2006.

Advertisements will appear in all the national newspapers as well as the Irish Farmers’ Journal and Foinse over the coming days calling for proposals from local Action Groups to administer this funding. They will be asked to submit business plans for their local areas that will be evaluated by independent evaluators.

“The Rural Development Programmes have had an enormously positive impact in rural Ireland,”

Minister Smith said.

“The very significant increase in funding under this latest programme will allow individuals and community groups access to even greater amounts of grant aid for capital projects,”

Minister Smith also stated.

“As Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food I recognise the particular significance of this funding for constituencies such as Cavan and Monaghan. This funding which has a potential investment of €1.7 billion in rural Ireland over the next 5 years,”

Minister Smith concluded.