Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 March 2019
619. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the planned level of administration and animation expenditure over the lifetime of the current LEADER programme for all LAGs, both independent and local authority, expressed as a percentage of their total budgets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11820/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra620. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the percentage of the total expenditure of local action groups on LEADER programmes retained by local authorities; if this retention applies to all LAGs administering LEADER; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11822/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 619 and 620 together.
The LEADER programme has a total budget of €250 million over the period to 2020. €220 million of this funding has been allocated to the Local Action Groups (LAGs) throughout the country who deliver the LEADER programme. The remaining €30 million is available for schemes which will be overseen at a national level.
Article 35 of Regulation (EU) No. 1303/2013 stipulates that support can be provided for the administration costs of the LAGs and the cost of their engagement with communities to generate projects - also referred to as "animation" costs.
In line with the Regulation, the maximum percentage of funding that can be spent by Local Action Groups on administration and animation is 25% of the LEADER expenditure incurred in the delivery of their Local Development Strategy (LDS).
25 of the 29 LAGs delivering LEADER are Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) working in partnership with the Local Development Companies and Local Authorities in their respective areas. In these LAGs, the funding for administration and animation expenditure is all provided to the Local Development Companies or it can be shared between both the Local Development Companies and the Local Authorities.
The division of the administration and animation funding between the Local Authorities and the Local Development Companies is a matter for each individual LAG. My Department understands, based on submissions from the Local Authorities, that the percentage funding retained by each Local Authority for their own administration purposes related to the LEADER programme ranges from 0% to 5% of the LAG budget.
In the other 4 cases, the Local Action Groups are Local Development Companies that are not in a formal partnership with the LCDC and Local Authority. Therefore the full 25% funding for adminstration and animation is available solely for the Local Development Company.
Table 1 outlines the following details for each LAG:
- The total allocation for the LEADER 2014-2020 programme;
- The total planned administration and animation expenditure as outlined in each Local Development Strategy;
- The total planned administration and animation expenditure as outlined in each Local Development Strategy expressed as a percentage of the total allocation;
- The percentage of the total allocation retained by Local Authorities for administration and animation costs. It should be noted that this percentage is already included in the overall percentage provide in the table for Administration & Animation, and is not an additional allocation.
The LAGs may also be entitled to additional administration and animation expenditure associated with projects approved from the €30 million available at national level.
This expenditure is monitored by my Department on an ongoing basis.
Table 1: LEADER 2014:2020 LAG allocations and associated administration and animation expenditure
|
Local Action Group |
Total Allocation |
Planned Administration and Animation (A&A) Expenditure |
A&A as % of Total Allocation |
% of Total Allocation to be Retained by Local Authority |
|
Carlow |
€6,416,803.43 |
€1,604,202.00 |
25.0% |
5% |
|
Cavan |
€8,522,285.84 |
€2,080,571.00 |
24.4% |
5% |
|
Clare |
€8,920,224.65 |
€2,229,225.00 |
25.0% |
N/A |
|
Cork North |
€5,091,845.73 |
€1,272,961.00 |
25.0% |
0% |
|
Cork South |
€3,831,303.31 |
€957,825.00 |
25.0% |
0% |
|
Cork West |
€5,015,674.19 |
€1,253,918.00 |
25.0% |
0% |
|
Donegal |
€12,913,877.86 |
€3,228,467.00 |
25.0% |
0% |
|
Dublin Rural |
€6,370,438.43 |
€1,592,609.00 |
25.0% |
1.3% |
|
Galway East |
€7,655,850.61 |
€1,768,369.00 |
23.1% |
N/A |
|
Galway West |
€4,540,033.00 |
€1,089,608.00 |
24.0% |
N/A |
|
Kerry |
€10,219,868.29 |
€2,554,967.00 |
25.0% |
0% |
|
Kildare |
€5,261,600.01 |
€1,315,400.00 |
25.0% |
2.8% |
|
Kilkenny |
€7,791,572.91 |
€1,947,893.00 |
25.0% |
N/A |
|
Laois |
€7,124,586.86 |
€1,774,629.00 |
24.9% |
5% |
|
Leitrim |
€5,998,474.74 |
€1,475,686.00 |
24.6% |
3% |
|
Limerick |
€9,276,593.96 |
€2,319,232.00 |
25.0% |
0% |
|
Longford |
€7,597,623.07 |
€1,869,123.00 |
24.6% |
3% |
|
Louth |
€6,101,862.01 |
€1,525,465.50 |
25.0% |
0.7% |
|
Mayo |
€11,121,431.88 |
€2,753,549.00 |
24.8% |
3.4% |
|
Meath |
€6,903,123.57 |
€1,725,781.00 |
25.0% |
0% |
|
Monaghan |
€7,592,719.51 |
€1,839,923.00 |
24.2% |
2.4% |
|
Offaly |
€8,036,763.90 |
€2,006,737.00 |
25.0% |
0% |
|
Roscommon |
€8,852,659.22 |
€2,213,164.00 |
25.0% |
5% |
|
Sligo |
€7,655,647.81 |
€1,913,912.00 |
25.0% |
3% |
|
Tipperary |
€10,103,443.28 |
€2,520,859.00 |
25.0% |
1.3% |
|
Waterford |
€7,522,796.18 |
€1,880,699.00 |
25.0% |
2% |
|
Westmeath |
€7,384,206.22 |
€1,795,210.00 |
24.3% |
1.2% |
|
Wexford |
€9,840,140.56 |
€2,260,036.00 |
23.0% |
3% |
|
Wicklow |
€6,336,549.00 |
€1,556,965.00 |
24.6% |
0% |
