Vol. 522 No. 4
97 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if the application process for Leader+ and national Leader programmes can commence immediately; if he will extend ADM to all rural areas which suffer disadvantage through the new social inclusion programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18873/00]
The draft guidelines for the Leader+ programme have been adopted and published by the European Commission. The guidelines set down the template for the drafting by member states of operational programmes to be submitted to the commission for approval and clearance. My Department is currently in the process of preparing the operational programmes for the implementation of both the Leader+ and the national Leader programmes for submission to the European Commission. It is intended to place advertisements shortly inviting expressions of interest from local groups on the application and implementation of the programmes in rural areas. Consultation with relevant parties is required by the European Commission in the preparation of the draft operational programmes and a significant degree of consultation has already taken place. The consultative process is ongoing and a number of advisory seminars have been arranged for July 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 ensuring that the draft operational programmes for Leader+, together with the mainstream Leader programme proposed under the national development plan, are completed 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 press for acceptance of our programmes at the earliest time possible. Pending this, I have earlier put in place an interim funding arrangement for groups to help maintain the momentum of Leader activity. This funding was made without prejudice to the groups which will be selected to operate the Leader programmes in the period to 2006. The local development programme is administered by the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation and operated by area development management on their behalf. The report of the Task Force on the Integration of Local Government and Local Development Systems which has been accepted by Government requires a cohesive and rational approach between agencies in the delivery of development programmes. My Department will work in a practicable way to meet the requirement.
