Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 September 2022
130. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department is reviewing ways to mitigate the impacts on local communities and the schemes that are supported by Leader in view of the fact that the Leader allocations vary from year to year; the steps that her Department is taking to give Irish local development network members stability in planning ahead financially; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44955/22]
View answerThe LEADER programme is a key intervention implemented by my Department, which will help to underpin the Government's rural development goals as outlined in Our Rural Future.
Funding is provided for the duration of the LEADER programme rather than on an annual basis to allow more flexibility to the Local Action Groups (LAGs) to manage the programme in their areas of operation.
€250m has been made available for LEADER for the period 2021 to 2027. This is comprised of €70 million for the transitional period 2021 to 2022 which came into effect on 1 April 2021 and an additional €180 million from 2023 to 2027. Up to 25% of this funding is available for the administration and animation costs of the LAGs delivering the programme.
In addition to this core funding, additional administration Exchequer funding has been put in place for LEADER Groups who have exhausted all such existing funding in 2022. I have also recently confirmed that this funding will be made available again in 2023, in cases where it is required by LEADER Groups.
This level of funding is evidence of the Government’s continued support for the LEADER programme and gives certainty to the LAGs, including members of the Irish Local Development Network, regarding their funding until the new programme is operational .
The process to select the Local Action Groups to implement the new programme which will be open, transparent and competitive will be conducted over two stages. I hope to confirm full details of this process shortly.
The first stage will be an Expression of Interest by eligible groups followed by a more detailed stage which will see them develop their LEADER strategies. All groups that are successful in Stage 1 will be provided with funding to assist with the costs associated with developing a Local Development Strategy in Stage 2 of the process. A fund of €2 million has been ring-fenced for this purpose.
I am confident that the level of funding allocated for the 2021-2027 programming period is sufficient to meet the demand for grant funding from rural communities and businesses to continue the effective operation of the LEADER programme.
