Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 November 2020
921. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will consider allocating funding to a company (details supplied) in order that it can maintain existing levels of service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36941/20]
View answerLEADER is a multi-annual programme with a budget of €250 million over the period 2014-2020. €225 million of this budget was allocated at the outset of the programme to Local Action Groups (LAGs) who deliver the programme and approve projects at local level.
The funding allocated to each LAG covers both core project expenditure and the administration costs of the LAG and its Implementing Partners. No additional funding is available to the LAGs or their Implementing Partners under the current LEADER programme which concludes in December 2020.
Due to delays in agreeing the post-2020 EU budget, the next EU-funded LEADER programme will not commence until January 2022 at the earliest. 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. The objective of this commitment is to allow local-led rural development projects to be delivered under a Transitional Programme until the new EU programme commences.
An extra €4 million has been provided for LEADER in Budget 2021, to bring the total allocation for next year to €44 million. I can confirm that this allocation will be used to fund a combination of existing projects as they come to completion, as well as for new projects to be approved under the Transitional Programme. The funding will also support the administration costs of the existing LAGs and their Implementing Partners in closing out the current programme and delivering the Transitional Programme.
The details of the Transitional Programme are currently being finalised and I hope to be in a position shortly to announce the full details of project and administration allocations under the Programme.
