Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 23 May 2000

Vol. 519 No. 5

Written Answers. - Leader Programmes.

Ulick Burke

Question:

137 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the starting date and launch of the new Leader+ scheme; the reason for the delay in this regard; and if any retrospective grant assistance will be paid as a result of the long delay in implementing the new scheme. [14346/00]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Mr. Walsh):

The funding for all projects under the Leader II Programme was committed by 31 December 1999. All payments to promoters by groups will be completed in the period July to December of this year in accordance with the particular business plans of the Leader groups.

Having regard to the time period needed by the European Commission for finalisation and adoption of the guidelines pertaining to its new rural development initiative, Leader+, and the time required for the preparation and commencement of new Leader programmes, I secured interim administrative funding for Leader groups to 31 December 2000.

Following a lengthy period of consultation involving member states and including the European Parliament, the European Commission last month adopted the guidelines for Leader+. The guidelines outline the template for the drafting by member states of Operational Programmes to be submitted to the Commission for approval and clearance.

Consultation with relevant parties is required by the European Commission in regard to preparation of the draft operational programmes and a significant degree of consultation has already taken place. The consultative process is being accelerated and a number of advisory seminars are also being arranged on a regional basis to provide information to prospective participants in the new Leader arrangements.

Now that the guidelines for Leader+ are in place, I am concerned to ensure that the draft Operational Programmes for Leader+ and indeed the mainstream Leader programme proposed under the national development plan are finalised quickly and forwarded to the Commission with a view to obtaining clearance and the prompt establishment of Leader funding activity to 2006. While the European Commission procedure provides for a period of months for formal negotiation and clearance of programmes, I will be pressing for acceptance of our programmes at the earliest time possible.

In conjunction with the approval of our programmes, under European Commission requirements, an open invitation procedure will operate in regard to the selection and appointment of groups to deliver the Leader programmes in the period to 2006. Pending the finalisation and acceptance of our Leader activity programmes, groups cannot be appointed and accordingly, any question of retrospective grant assistance does not apply.