Vol. 513 No. 6
216 Mr. Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the steps, if any, he will take to arrange that current Leader groups receive funding under the forthcoming Leader programme so as to ensure the continuity of the programme; the changes, if any, there will be in the status quo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3354/00]
Following the conclusion of consultation with member states, the European Commission has indicated that it intends to finalise the guidelines for its new rural development initiative, Leader+, when European Parliament observations are received later this month.
Member states will then draw up operational programmes for Leader+. When completed, Ireland's operational programme will be forwarded to the Commission for approval with a view to commencement of the Leader+ programme as soon as possible.
Under the national development plan, funding of the order of £110 million will be available to support Leader-type activity in the period 2000-2006. Some £35.4 million of this is to be provided by the EU in respect of the Leader+ programme. The balance will come from the Exchequer and will comprise co-funding for Leader+ as well as support for a mainstream Leader–type measure. As with other measures provided for in the national development plan, approval by the European Commission is necessary to enable commencement of arrangements for the establishment of Leader mainstream activity.
Pending EU clearance for Leader+ activity and mainstream activity under the NDP, it is not possible to define the precise arrangements for delivery. It is clear, however, that the Commission's intention is that funding will be confined to a limited number of rural areas and that the essential aim of the measure will be to encourage the emergence and testing of new approaches to integrated and sustainable development.
The report of the task force on the integration of local government and local development systems will also have an important bearing on the arrangements for the operation of the new Leader measures. Of particular relevance will be the desire to avoid overlap between agencies and to explore mechanisms capable of combining rural development and rural partnership activities in rural disadvantaged areas specifically.
I recognise the importance of continuity in the delivery of Leader and Leader-type rural development programmes. In this context, every effort will be made to secure the earliest implementation of the two new Leader measures.
