A conference in Cork has been told that in 10 years time, people will look at the decimation of community led development structures in rural Ireland, and ask how that was allowed to happen.
Midlands North West MEP Marian Harkin told the conference that instead of encouraging genuine community involvement in local development, the current government has devised a process which would ensure political control over the former LEADER programme.
While the setting up of LCDC’s – Local Community Development Committees was within the letter of EU law, Marian Harkin says the way it was done lessened the role of the communities themselves, and that’s contrary to the spirit of what the EU is trying to achieve…………
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