LEADER is a multi-annual programme which has a total budget of €250 million over the period to the end of 2020. €225 million of this funding has been allocated as core funding to each of the individual Local Action Groups (LAGs) who deliver LEADER. The remaining €25 million is available for schemes to be delivered at a national level and is allocated as projects are approved.
Table 1 below provides a breakdown of the number of core projects approved by each Local Action Group to date, as well as the number of approved projects which have received at least one payment, and the number of projects where no payment has yet issued.
Funding is drawn down as the projects start to incur expenditure and the project promoter submits claims for payment to the LAGs. The approved works, or phases of works, must be completed by the project promoter prior to any final or phased payments being made. A project promoter can opt to receive payment in one full final payment or up to five phased payments. It should also be noted that payments can continue to be drawn down after the end of the 2014-2020 LEADER programming period by projects which have been approved before the end of 2020.
Over 1,400, or 50%, of project promoters have now received a Final Payment in respect of their project.
The level of project activity under the LEADER programme continues to increase and, to date, 2,911 core projects have been approved for funding of over €112 million. A further 401 project applications, with a value of almost €29 million, are at various stages in the approval process.
In addition to the figures provided on the table below, over 150 LEADER Food Initiative and Co-operation projects have been approved at national level under the thematic schemes referred to above.
Table 1: LEADER core project approvals and payments issued as of 18 May, 2020, by LAG
Local Action Group
|
No. of Projects Approved
|
No. of Projects Funded
|
No. of Projects where no payment has issued
|
Carlow
|
45
|
34
|
11
|
Cavan
|
81
|
54
|
27
|
Clare
|
170
|
108
|
62
|
Cork North
|
75
|
48
|
27
|
Cork South
|
33
|
16
|
17
|
Cork West
|
34
|
24
|
10
|
Donegal
|
161
|
115
|
46
|
Dublin Rural
|
63
|
43
|
20
|
Galway East
|
96
|
45
|
51
|
Galway West
|
59
|
38
|
21
|
Kerry
|
320
|
187
|
133
|
Kildare
|
37
|
22
|
15
|
Kilkenny
|
96
|
58
|
38
|
Laois
|
85
|
53
|
32
|
Leitrim
|
102
|
66
|
36
|
Limerick
|
98
|
68
|
30
|
Longford
|
88
|
52
|
36
|
Louth
|
103
|
74
|
29
|
Mayo
|
155
|
108
|
47
|
Meath
|
86
|
37
|
49
|
Monaghan
|
58
|
39
|
19
|
Offaly
|
157
|
116
|
41
|
Roscommon
|
72
|
37
|
35
|
Sligo
|
128
|
80
|
48
|
Tipperary
|
162
|
105
|
57
|
Waterford
|
71
|
49
|
22
|
Westmeath
|
88
|
53
|
35
|
Wexford
|
122
|
82
|
40
|
Wicklow
|
66
|
35
|
31
|
Grand Total
|
2,911
|
1,846
|
1,065
|