Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 November 2022
1328. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the percentage of the LEADER funding allocated to each county that can be spent on administration and the percentage that can be spent on animation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55240/22]
View answerLEADER is a key programme within Our Rural Future, and as announced recently the Expression of Interest stage to select the Groups to deliver the next LEADER programme is now open. The allocation for each LEADER area was also announced as part of this process.
€180 million has been committed to the new LEADER programme for 2023-2027. When taken together with the €70m provided by the Government for 2021 and 2022, this maintains the €250m funding for LEADER in the corresponding 7 year programme period of 2014-2020.
Article 34 of the EU Common Provisions Regulation (2021/1061) allows for support to be provided for the administration costs of the Local Action Groups(LAGs) and the cost of their engagement with communities to generate projects, which is also referred to as "animation" costs.
In line with this Regulation, the maximum percentage of funding that can be spent by the LAGs on administration and animation is 25% of the LEADER expenditure incurred in the delivery of their Local Development Strategy (LDS).
The division of the available funding on each of these elements will be a matter for each individual LAG subject to the maximum limit not being breached.
I look forward to seeing the new programme being implemented and to ensuring that LEADER can continue to deliver real benefits to rural communities across Ireland.
