Tipperary Leader Rally July 9th Outside Dáil Eireann

Keep LEADER in the Community: NO to Alignment

North Tipperary Leader Partnership

North Tipperary LEADER Partnership, and other Local Development Companies from across the country, are calling on communities to support the forthcoming LEADER Rally in support of the retention of the bottom-up approach of LEADER, by local development companies.

The rally will take place on Wednesday July 9th at 1.30 pm outside Dáil Eireann and will be addressed by Marian Harkin MEP, Liadh Ní Riada MEP and others.

North Tipperary LEADER Partnership has successfully delivered the LEADER Programme for over 20 years. Now, however, the government is proposing to change this system, which is regarded by the EU as being a model of best practice throughout Europe and one that has successfully supported the economic, social and community development of rural communities throughout Ireland in recent decades.

The proposed policy change being driven forward by Minister Phil Hogan & the Department of Environment Community and Local Government is called Alignment, and aims to transfer the delivery of the LEADER Programme to newly established committees within each Local Authority Area. Local Development Companies are now entering a critical phase in determining the outcome of this alignment process; the protection of the LEADER model in Ireland, which is the most successful LEADER delivery structure in the EU, is in danger of being lost, and with it, the years of experience, skills, expertise & local relationships built up over the years by North Tipperary LEADER Partnership and similar companies.

Now, more than ever, we need your support, so that communities, and not Local Authority Committees, can continue to decide how LEADER funding should be administered in this area.

Coach transport from North Tipperary to Dublin will be provided free to all those wishing to support our cause on the day. Buses will leave Thurles at 9.00am from outside the Sarsfields Centre and from Nenagh at 9.00am outside the Abbey Court Hotel. All rally attendee’s should be back in both venues by 6.30pm.

For further information, to confirm your attendance or enquiries regarding coach routes, please Tel: 087 9873489 or email ntlpleaderrally@yahoo.com or contact Jim Finn, (Chairperson), Tel: 086 6037222.