Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 July 2015
858. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the purposes of implementing the Leader element of the Rural Development Programme 2014 to 2020; if the Government adopted a definition of rural areas that will exclude applications from certain areas and the location of those areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28613/15]
View answerThe purpose of the Leader elements of the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 is to provide resources to rural communities to support projects and interventions that will address the priority issues of social inclusion, poverty reduction and economic development in rural areas.
The Leader elements of Rural Development Programme are delivered using a community led local development approach, where rural communities themselves are the drivers of projects to support the sustainable development of their own areas.
The definition of rural areas for the purposes of the Leader elements of the Rural Development Programme encompasses all areas outside of the five main cities - Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. In principle, any area that meets this definition of a rural area is eligible for Leader funding.
It should be noted, however, that in the context of a full and comprehensive analysis of the needs and potential of a given area, a Local Action Group may decide that some areas within their sub-region may need Leader resources more than others and may prioritise these areas in their local development strategy. Such decisions are entirely within the remit of the Local Action Group and my Department plays no role in determining which areas may or may not have access to Leader funding.
