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LEADER Programmes

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 October 2020

Wednesday, 21 October 2020

Questions (271, 272, 273)

Seán Sherlock

Question:

271. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the Leader programme will provide for new applications in 2021. [31832/20]

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Seán Sherlock

Question:

272. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding that has been made available for a national rural development programme as committed to in the Programme for Government to replace the current Leader programme in 2021. [31833/20]

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Seán Sherlock

Question:

273. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the consultation that has taken place with stakeholders on the development of a transitionary Leader programme to 2023; and the way in which she plans to proceed in terms of developing a national rural development programme as outlined in the Programme for Government. [31834/20]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 271 to 273, inclusive, together.

The LEADER programme is co-funded by the European Commission under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The current programming period concludes in December 2020. 

Proposals for regulations for the post-2020 CAP were launched in June 2018 by the European Commission.  However, given the protracted nature of the discussions on the CAP and the wider post-2020 Budget at EU level, there has been a delay in adopting these proposals. This means that the next EU-funded LEADER programme will not now commence until January 2022 at the earliest.

The European Commission has published proposals for transitional measures to allow for continuity between the programming periods.  The Commission's Transitional Regulation is still under negotiation and there are still a number of issues to be resolved over the coming months, including the duration of the transitional period.

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to prioritise a State-led programme to bridge the gap between the current LEADER programme and the next EU programme.  My Department is currently examining the best approach to deliver on this commitment having regard, inter alia, to any transitional arrangements that may be agreed at European level before the end of this year.

Over the last few months, my Department has also listened to the views of a number of stakeholders involved in the delivery of the LEADER programme in relation to the transitional programme. 

An extra €4 million has been provided for LEADER in Budget 2021, to bring the total allocation for the programme next year to €44 million.  This money will be used to fund existing projects as they come to completion, and to enable transitional arrangements to be put in place between the ending of the current LEADER programme and the start of the next EU-funded programme. 

I hope to be in a position shortly to announce the details of the transitional programme.

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