Written Answers. - Leader Programmes.
Dinny McGinley
Ceist:
59
Mr. McGinley
asked the
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development
the plans he has, if any, to initiate a scheme which will ensure that there is a seamless transition from the Leader II programme into the new national rural development programme in order to avoid interruption in rural development schemes.
[7182/00]
The date for completion of the Leader II programme has been extended to 31 December 2000 where requested by individual groups.
Following the recent receipt of the observations of the European Parliament and their acceptance by the member states, the European Commission is finalising the draft guidelines on Leader+ and it is expected that the approved guidelines will issue shortly.
Based on these guidelines, member states will then draw up operational programmes for Leader+ for forwarding to the Commission for approval with a view to commencement of the Leader+ programme as soon as possible. The Commission over a period of some months will subject the programmes to detailed examination to ensure in particular that they show evidence of significant innovation to the requisite standard for approval.
Also, a Leader mainstream programme to apply nationwide is being funded under the national development plan. As with other measures provided for in the national development plan, approval by the European Commission is necessary to enable commencement of arrangements for the establishment of Leader mainstream activity.
Pending EU clearance for Leader+ and the Leader mainstream measure under the national development plan, it is not possible to define the precise arrangements for delivery. It is clear, however, that the Commission's intention is that funding for Leader+ will be confined to a limited number of rural areas and that the essential aim of the Leader+ measure will be to encourage the emergence and testing of new approaches to integrated and sustainable development.
In the determination of local groups for delivery of programmes, the report of the task force on the integration of local government and local development systems requires that attention be given to the avoidance of overlap between agencies including Leader groups and to explore mechanisms capable of combining rural development and rural partnership activities in rural disadvantaged areas specifically.
I recognise the importance of continuity in the delivery of Leader+ and Leader-type rural development programmes and I acknowledge that the work effected under Leader I and Leader II has benefited local communities. Accordingly, every effort is being made to commence the earliest implementation of the two new Leader measures.
