LEADER Programmes

Tuesday, 22 September 2020

Ceisteanna (911)

Dara Calleary

Ceist:

911. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Community and Rural Development and the Islands the amount each local authority has billed either her Department or a local Leader company for staff members, administration, LAG overhead or other cost in each year since 2014; and the amount paid out by her Department, each LAG or Leader delivery sub-group in audit fees since 2014, in tabular form. [25442/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Community and Rural Development and the Islands

It is not possible, in the time available, to compile the detailed information requested by the Deputy.

My officials are collating the information requested and a further reply will be issued to the Deputy in the coming days.

The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51

LEADER is a multi-annual programme with a budget of €250 million over the period 2014-2020.

€225 million of this budget has been allocated to the Local Action Groups (LAGs) which deliver the programme at local level. The balance of €25 million is provided for specific thematic projects and is allocated at national level once projects have been approved by the LAGs.

Funding was allocated to the LAGs at the outset of the programme to provide greater flexibility in the management of their budget and covers the

- cost of developing their Local Development Strategies at the outset of the programme (preparatory support);

- expenditure incurred on administration and on supporting the development of LEADER projects (administration & animation); and

- funding provided to LEADER projects.

In line with EU Regulations no more that 25% of the overall budget may be spent on a LAG’s administration costs. The division of this administration funding between the various partners in the LAG such as Implementing Partners (usually Local Development Companies), or the Local Authority as the Financial Partner, is a matter for each individual LAG.

From my Department’s perspective, Table 1 below outlines the overall amounts paid by my Department in each LAG area where the Local Authority, as Lead Financial Partner in the LAG, has claimed for costs incurred for the period 2016 to date in 2020. No payments were made in the years 2014 and 2015.

Costs incurred by the Local Authorities relate to staff administration costs and the performance of some of the mandatory EU regulatory checks on project applications and payment claims. Pobal, on behalf of my Department, carried out all regulatory checks for the calendar years 2017 and 2018. Responsibility for some of these regulatory checks was transferred to 25 Local Authorities in early 2019, where they act as the Lead Financial Partner in the LAG.

It is not possible to provide figures on audit fees claimed and paid by my Department to the LAGs, as this data is not specifically recorded. Expenditure of this nature is captured under the general category heading of Financial/Professional fees and it has not been possible to identify the specific amounts relating solely to audit fees.

Table 1: Amounts paid to Local Authorities for the period 2016 – 2020 (to date)


Local Action Group Area	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
Carlow	€0.00	€55,415.29	€38,397.83	€35,842.62	€18,485.15
Cavan	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00	€31,120.02	€28,517.41
Clare	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00
Cork North	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00	24,113.40	23,698.56
Cork South	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00	24,113.40	23,698.56
Cork West	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00	24,113.40	23,698.56
Donegal	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00	70,234.56	90,828.93
Dublin Rural	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00	14,689.00	27,074.36
Galway East	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00
Galway West	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00
Kerry	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00	76,244.41	76,648.20
Kildare	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00	€29,015.80	€19,530.02
Kilkenny	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00
Laois	€0.00	€46,452.21	€63,692.42	€69,842.00	€30,614.93
Leitrim	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00	€21,308.26	€18,179.88
Limerick	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00	62,664.37	69,574.45
Longford	€0.00	€27,591.33	€49,854.12	€42,020.14	€16,333.68
Louth	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00	34,513.66	34,513.66
Mayo	€18,372.97	€14,459.25	€0.00	€89,033.95	€0.00
Meath	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00	38,827.89	49,290.00
Monaghan	€0.00	€0.00	€7,509.53	€76,164.74	€41,168.32
Offaly	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00	60,275.73	60,275.73
Roscommon	€0.00	€0.00	€20,970.86	€50,554.69	€22,661.37
Sligo	€19,139.15	€45,933.96	€45,933.96	€45,933.96	€11,483.49
Tipperary	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00	€109,858.91	44,171.58
Waterford	€0.00	€0.00	€3,657.42	€36,477.15	€25,375.38
Westmeath	€0.00	€17,960.00	€17,960.00	€51,188.93	€49,413.70
Wexford	€10,607.55	€42,203.52	€40,852.49	€52,344.92	€11,660.93
Wicklow	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00	47,524.12	47,524.12
Totals	€48,119.67	€250,015.56	€288,828.63	€1,218,020.02	€864,420.97

Question No. 912 answered with Question No. 902.