Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 19 together.

I hope to be in a position shortly to commence the process of selecting local action groups to deliver the Leader element of the Rural Development Programme Ireland 2007-2013. The funding available for the delivery of Leader-type activities under the programme will amount to €425.4 million, almost treble the €150 million available for the 2000 to 2006 period. The new programme will complement the other funding for rural development measures by my Department.

The National Development Plan 2007-2013 commits €49.6 billion to social inclusion, including €417 million for the local development and social inclusion programme, LDSIP. The 2008 voted allocation for the LDSIP is €57.44 million. Transitional arrangements are in place for 2008 to enable the new integrated structures and partnerships to extend their areas of coverage and embed their operations. A value for money review of the programme is being concluded. I intend to use the findings from this review to shape the future programme.

Deputies will be aware that my Department in recent years has been pursuing a process of cohesion in local delivery structures to simplify and enhance the effectiveness of the delivery of a range of local development programmes. Following extensive consultations with and among local agencies to develop the most suitable group configurations, in the course of 2007 the Government decided on revised areas of coverage for local development groups and clarified the arrangements for board membership of these bodies. Leader and partnership groups have been asked to give effect to these decisions and my Department has provided detailed guidelines to secure this outcome. The realignment of local delivery structures will reduce the overall number of local development bodies from 94 to 55, comprising 17 partnerships in urban areas and 38 integrated Leader-partnership bodies in rural areas.

I intend to have the cohesion process completed in advance of the roll-out of the NDP programmes, including the Leader programme and the LDSIP. At this stage, local development bodies are in place in 50 of the 55 operational areas agreed by Government. The representative networks of Leader and partnership groups, whom I met on 31 January, have assured me they are fully behind the Government's policy on cohesion and will endeavour to ensure local delivery structures are in place across the full 55 areas in the coming weeks.

In one case, a Leader group made a complaint to the European Commission regarding the Leader element of the Rural Development Programme Ireland 2007-2013, and in particular the cohesion process. I am satisfied our approach in this area is fully consistent with European regulations. My Department is monitoring the position closely.

See this speech in context