Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 January 2024
603. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to indicate her intentions for the current year in respect of the LEADER programme; whether she intends to introduce any modifications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4290/24]
View answerThe LEADER Programme is a key intervention of Our Rural Future, the Government’s Policy for rural development which aims to deliver a range of actions to rural communities over the lifetime of the policy. It is based on a community-led approach to rural development and supports a broad range of activities which aim to respond to the diversity of the local needs of our rural areas.
The 2023-2027 LEADER Programme is broadly in line with the 2014-2022 Programme that is coming to a close at present. The emphasis of the 2023-2027 Programme will be the continued development of the rural economy including an increased focus on supporting female entrepreneurs in rural communities. In addition, there will be a strong focus on building the capacity of marginalised and new communities particularly in areas that have not benefited from LEADER financial support in the past. Support in the area of climate mitigation and adaptation measures will also be key areas to be addressed by the Local Action Groups.
The process to select the Local Action Groups to deliver the 2023-2027 LEADER Programme is ongoing at present, with the selection complete in 18 sub-regional areas to date. Applicant groups will be notified of the outcome of the selection process in their sub-regional area once it is completed. Once a Local Action Group is approved it can commence the delivery of the programme in their area. The Kildare Local Community Development Committee has been selected to deliver the 2023-2027 Programme in partnership with County Kildare LEADER Partnership and Kildare County Council in the Kildare sub-regional area.
Strategies in the sub-regional areas where the process is not yet finalised are being considered by the Independent Selection Committee (ISC) with a view to completing the selection of the remaining LAGs in a timely manner. While the process to select the LAGs is ongoing at the moment it should be noted that those bodies engaged in delivering the 2014-2020 LEADER programme will continue to do so in 2024 until the completion of that programme.
My Department’s focus now is to complete the selection of the remaining LAGs to ensure a timely and smooth transition from the 2014-2020 programme.
