Departmental Funding
Seanad Éireann — 2026-06-17
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Mary Butler (FF), Waterford

I thank Senator Scahill very much for raising this topic. I agree that there continues to be a need for LEP funding to support the excellent work our community groups deliver nationwide. It must be acknowledged that €72.9 million has been provided by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht since 2018. The Minister, Deputy Calleary, was in Waterford last Monday week and he attended 16 events. A lot of money is being delivered but I take on board what the Senator says. The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, is fully committed to delivering this funding. They are his words, not mine. Every day, as Minister of State in the Department, he has the pleasure of meeting the people and groups that benefit from grants under the LEP.
I understand exactly where Senator Scahill is coming from. During Covid things changed in relation to fundraising and volunteers. People are not as keen to get on boards now because there is a lot of governance involved and a lot of forms to be signed. I thank the Senator for raising this really important issue, which affects every single constituency in Ireland.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-06-17/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:04+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-17