Richard Bruton
Ceist:47 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when the recommended applications under the LEADER programme were submitted to Brussels; and if this programme will be on an ongoing yearly basis.
Written Answers. - LEADER Programme.
Joe Sherlock
Ceist:80 Mr. Sherlock asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of applications he has received under the LEADER programme from the Cork area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Joseph Doyle
Ceist:86 Mr. Doyle asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when the recommended applications under the LEADER programme were submitted to Brussels; and if the programme will be ongoing on a yearly basis.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 47, 80 and 86 together.
As I have already indicated to the House, 34 groups have submitted plans for consideration under "LEADER". All the plans were submitted to the EC Commission on 4 October together with an evaluation report, including an order of merit, drawn up by a firm of consultants engaged by my Department.
Seven plans relate to parts of County Cork, including the off-shore islands.
I expect that a decision on the successful groups will be announced by the EC Commission in mid-December. LEADER is an EC Initiative which runs to the end of 1993 and no decision has been made about its continuation beyond that date.