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Leader Programmes Applications

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 July 2013

Tuesday, 2 July 2013

Questions (527, 528, 529)

Paudie Coffey

Question:

527. Deputy Paudie Coffey asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of LEADER project applications, listed on a country basis, that exceed €150,000 in cost and that are currently awaiting approval from his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32092/13]

View answer

Paudie Coffey

Question:

528. Deputy Paudie Coffey asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number and percentage of LEADER projects, on a county basis, that were submitted to his Department in the past six months for approval that have been deemed incomplete and sent back to local LEADER groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32093/13]

View answer

Paudie Coffey

Question:

529. Deputy Paudie Coffey asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the timeframe in which full approval can be expected for completed Leader project applications that were submitted to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32094/13]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 527 to 529, inclusive, together.

In the context of processing of Axis 3 and 4 (LEADER) applications under the Rural Development Programme (RDP), and in line with the community led nature of the LEADER elements of the programme, my Department only becomes involved in a project once the Board of the Local Development Company (LDC) has approved it and the Board minutes are submitted to my Department for a review of eligibility.

However, for projects that request funding of €150,000 or more, LDCs are required to seek final approval from my Department after Board approval. There has been a significant increase in the number of these types of projects over the last 12 to 18 months and there are currently 42 projects in the Department at various stages of assessment. The assessment of these higher value projects usually involves detailed consultations between my Department and the relevant LDC. Many of these projects have been submitted with insufficient documentation or with documentation that requires some level of clarification.

Projects submitted with incomplete documentation are now immediately returned to the LDC for completion and are categorised as rejected until full documentation is submitted. Prior to this change, my Department worked closely but informally with LDCs to assist them in ensuring that projects submitted were ready for assessment. As many of the consultations with regard to required documentation were informal and primarily within the context of providing assistance to the LDC, a precise percentage of the number of projects over €150 ,000 that would have been considered incomplete is not available.

It is estimated, however, that up to 80% of the projects that have been submitted to my Department for final approval to date have required some level of consultation with the LDC regarding the provision of additional information in order to facilitate a full assessment.

It is difficult to give a specific timeframe for completion of the approvals process as it varies on a case by case basis , but generally , once full documentation has been received and all queries on an individual project have been addressed, the assessment process proceeds quickly. My Department is committed to ensuring that the assessment process for these high value projects is as efficient , effective and timely as possible.

The table details the projects awaiting approvals from my Department.

Local Development Company

Date Received

Grant Aid Requested

Stage

Clare Local Development Company Ltd.

18-Jan-13

200,000

Under Assessment

Cavan-Monaghan LEADER

05-Jun-13

177,518

Awaiting Assessment

Comhar na nOileán

30-May-13

182,599

Under Assessment

Comhar na nOileán

07-Jun-13

200,000

Under Assessment

Donegal Local Development Company

18-Apr-13

200,000

Under Assessment

FORUM Connemara Ltd

23-Aug-12

431,888

Under Assessment

FORUM Connemara Ltd.

11-Feb-13

324,766

Under Assessment

Kildare LEADER Partnership

01-Mar-13

200,000

Under Assessment

Kildare LEADER Partnership

03-May-13

356,450

Awaiting information from LDC

Kilkenny LEADER Partnership

04-Dec-12

300,000

Awaiting information from LDC

Kilkenny LEADER Partnership

05-Nov-12

428,869

Under Assessment

Kilkenny LEADER Partnership

16-Jan-13

268,125

Awaiting information from LDC

Kilkenny LEADER Partnership

16-Jan-13

497,213

Awaiting information from LDC

Kilkenny LEADER Partnership

03-Apr-13

205,867

Under Assessment

Kilkenny LEADER Partnership

16-Jan-13

225,000

Awaiting information from LDC

Kilkenny LEADER Partnership

16-Jan-13

255,384

Under Assessment

Kilkenny LEADER Partnership

26-Jun-13

200,000

Awaiting Assessment

Kilkenny LEADER Partnership

26-Jun-13

200,000

Awaiting Assessment

Kilkenny LEADER Partnership

03-May-13

169,238

Under Assessment

Louth LEADER Partnership

26-Jun-13

188,055

Awaiting Assessment

Louth LEADER Partnership

26-Jun-13

200,000

Awaiting Assessment

Louth LEADER Partnership

26-Jun-13

200,000

Awaiting Assessment

Louth LEADER Partnership

26-Jun-13

200,000

Awaiting Assessment

Louth LEADER Partnership

26-Jun-13

200,000

Awaiting Assessment

Mayo North East LEADER Partnership

03-Oct-12

194,726

Under Assessment

Mayo North East LEADER Partnership

15-Jul-11

196,387

Under Assessment

North Tipperary LEADER Partnership

16-Jul-12

407,675

Awaiting information from LDC

North Tipperary LEADER Partnership

18-Jan-13

199,994

Under Assessment

Roscommon Integrated Development

27-Feb-13

196,925

Under Assessment

Roscommon Integrated Development

13-May-13

172,093

Under Assessment

Roscommon Integrated Development

28-Jun-13

200,000

Awaiting Assessment

South and East Cork Area Dev Ltd.

13-Mar-13

330,000

Under Assessment

South and East Cork Area Dev Ltd.

28-Nov-12

500,000

Under Assessment

South Kerry Development Ltd.

25-Jan-13

168,393

Awaiting information from LDC

South West Mayo Development

21-Dec-12

200,000

Under Assessment

South West Mayo Development

19-Jun-13

195,115

Under Assessment

South West Mayo Development

26-Jun-13

200,000

Awaiting Assessment

Waterford LEADER Partnership Ltd.

12-Mar-13

198,624

Under Assessment

Waterford LEADER Partnership Ltd.

10-Apr-13

200,000

Awaiting information from LDC

West Cork Development Partnership

11-Mar-13

194,400

Under Assessment

West Limerick Resources Ltd

26-Feb-13

200,000

Under Assessment

Wexford Local Development

31-May-13

193,384

Under Assessment

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