Significant matters regarding EU Community-led Local Development funding and LEADER funding for the 2014-20 period are yet to be agreed, including the value of funding and the regulations governing implementation. In the absence of these, and ahead of the submission of local development strategies, it would be inappropriate for me to confirm any implementation arrangements for the next LEADER programme 2014-2020.
However, the Final Report of the Local Government/Local Development Alignment Group recommended that the Socioeconomic Committee structure “should be considered as the vehicle through which the LEADER approach is implemented for the 2014-2020 round of EU programmes”.
Socio-Economic Committees will have primary responsibility for co-ordination, oversight and governance of local and community development interventions at a local level , including LEADER . The membership of Socio-Economic Committees will comprise public and private partners drawn from the local and community development sectors, civil society, local authorities and relevant State Agencies. As key partners on the Socio-Economic Committees, local development companies and their staff will continue to have an important role in implementing the programmes for which they are contracted by my Department and others. The Alignment Report identified the particular skills and experience that local development company staff possess and I am keen that these continue to be utilised in front-line programme delivery.