Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 October 2021
476. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if a public funding stream under her Department is available for an entrepreneur to develop a town centre market and social area on private lands in a small town; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48916/21]
View answerThe LEADER programme may be able to provide funding for this project. LEADER is a rural development programme co-funded by the EU which operates a locally led, bottom-up, approach to meeting the needs of local communities and businesses. The programme supports private enterprises and community groups in rural areas.
In December 2020, I launched the Transitional LEADER Programme which came into effect from 1 April 2021 and will run to the end of 2022. A total of €70 million is being made available over this programming period. €20 million of this Transitional LEADER Programme is funded by the European Union Recovery Instrument (EURI), which will enable local communities and enterprises to respond, recover and adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In order for a project to be eligible for LEADER funding, it must be compatible with the actions outlined in the approved Local Development Strategy for the relevant LEADER area and it must comply with the Operating Rules and EU Regulations in place for the programme.
The decision to approve a project, or otherwise, is a matter for the Local Action Group (LAG) which administers the programme in each LEADER area. Interested applicants should, in the first instance, contact the relevant LAG through its Implementing Partners to discuss the eligibility of the project and the funding that may be available.
Contact details for all LAGs and their Implementing Partners can be accessed through the Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/c45498-local-action-groups/
