Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 June 2017
305. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the amount of Leader funding allocated to each county council annually in each of the years 2014 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form. [29555/17]
View answerIreland’s LEADER programme 2014-2020 has a total budget of €250 million over the lifetime of the programme. €220 million of this funding has already been allocated to Local Action Groups throughout the country who deliver the LEADER programme. The remaining €30 million is available for schemes which will be delivered at a national level. The allocated funding was not distributed to County Councils; rather it has been allocated to 28 LEADER sub-regional areas in Ireland, and will be delivered by the Local Action Groups (LAGs) selected in each respective area.
The sub-regional areas are, in the main, aligned with the county boundaries. However, Co. Cork is divided into 3 sub-regional areas. The allocation for each sub-regional area is provided for the duration of the Programme rather than on an annual basis. This provides greater flexibility to the LAGs in managing their resources.
Table 1 details the allocations to LAGs in each county and the expenditure incurred in each county each year to date under the LEADER 2014-2020 Programme. This expenditure commenced in 2015 and relates to preparatory support payments for the preparation of Local Development Strategies in each area and to the administration and animation costs incurred by the LAGs in the delivery of the Programme.
No project expenditure has yet been incurred under the LEADER 2014-2020 programme. However, the LAGs are currently concluding calls for proposals and are working with potential applicants to develop and finalise project applications in each LEADER sub-regional area. I understand that more than 4,800 expressions of interest from potential applicants, with an estimated value of over €200 million, have been recorded on the LEADER ICT system.
In addition, I have recently written to all of the LAGs and Local Development Companies, outlining changes that the Department intends to introduce to improve administrative processes under the programme, with immediate effect in some instances.
I am confident that progress now being made by the LAGs, along the administrative changes being introduced, will result in a significant increase in project approvals and payments under LEADER over the coming months.
Table 1: LEADER 2014-2020 Allocations and Expenditure
