Vol. 525 No. 3
185 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if he will report on the current situation with regard to the future of Leader programmes; the timescale involved in any further development of these programmes; the resources the Government has committed to further development of these programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25192/00]
Leader type activity in the period to 2006 will be delivered through the European Union Leader+ programme, together with a mainstream national rural development programme. A total of £117 million in public funding has been allocated to these two programmes, £58 million for Leader+ and £59 million in respect of the mainstream programme. The Government is providing some £20 million towards Leader+ and £35 million towards the mainstream programme. The balance of the funding is being provided by the European Commission.
Following a number of information seminars around the country in July this year, my Department invited notices of interest from rural development groups interested in participating in the new programmes. Subsequently, advertisements inviting interested groups to submit business plans for either or both programmes were placed in the national and provincial papers and farming press. By the closing date, 27 October 2000, a total of 85 applications was received. Forty of these applications were in respect of Leader+ with the balance relating to the mainstream programme.
The process for selection of groups to operate the new programmes will commence shortly and will proceed contemporaneously with the Commission's consideration of the Leader+ Operational Programme. An independent consultant will be commissioned to examine and make recommendations on group selection. The Department will consider this assessment and report to Government who will make the final decisions on groups.
Work on the preparation of the operational programme for Leader+ is at an advanced stage and it is expected that it will be lodged with the European Commission shortly. The programme will also be presented to the special North/South EU programmes body for its endorsement in tandem with the Northern Ireland Leader programme.
