An evaluation of the Local Development Social Inclusion Programme operated by County Leitrim Partnership, has found that 365 new enterprises were set up in its first three years.
The report, prepared by Brendan O'Keeffe of the department of geography, NUI Maynooth, found that the partnership had provided direct support to almost 2,520 unemployed people.
Working with other agencies such as Teagasc, the agriculture and food development authority, a specific programme set up to help smallholders had provided direct benefits to more than 130 families trying to make a living on small farms.
The programme, operated directly by the partnership, has three functions: providing services to the unemployed; aiding community development and community-based youth activities.
Using an index which scores levels of disadvantage from one to 10, the so-called Gamma scale, Co Leitrim had the highest level of disadvantage of any county in Ireland.
It found that most of the county scored between seven and 10 (10 being the most disadvantaged area and five being the national median).
The only areas that scored five or below were in the extreme southwest of the county, around Carrick-on- Shannon, Annaduff and Dromod, and the district electoral areas of Carrigallen East and Ballinamore.
"With the exception of Manorhamilton town and the area immediately to its west, all of north Leitrim registered levels of disadvantage that were in excess of seven," said the report.
The evaluation found that the county now has 120 community groups supported by the scheme. Fourteen social economy projects, worth €2 million, had created 90 jobs.
In the first three years of operation, from 2001 to 2003, 115 childcare places were created, 365 new enterprises supported and 350 job placements arranged.
The partnership had also been involved in helping 82 people resettle in the county.
The report concluded that the partnership had contributed hugely to the strengthening of the community and voluntary sector in Leitrim and had made tremendous strides in promoting local development.
It had provided impressive levels of support to a large number of groups and people in the county, having targeted pockets of disadvantage very effectively.
The report also said there was a need for increased funding for the partnership which represented good value for money.