My Department recently completed a full review of expenditure under the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 (RDP). As a first step I released €42 million worth of projects which had been approved by the Boards of the Local Development Company’s contracted to deliver the LEADER elements of the RDP. In the event, some €25.5 million in that category had all the necessary approvals in place to proceed to contract.
On 20 May 2013 my Department notified all Local Development Companies of their revised allocations under the LEADER elements of the RDP. This releases the remaining €70 million of the revised Programme, estimated at €370 million which includes the balance of the €42 million referred to above. The remaining allocation is inclusive of funding for both projects and LDC administration.