Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is no uncertainty. First, they do not stop announcing projects until the end of this year so they can continue to announce projects. As I said, there are approximately 3,000 projects and they have plenty of work to do for the next year and a half. Some 3,500 core projects are approved to the value of €139 million. A further 341 projects requesting €21 million in funding are at various stages of the approval process. They have not been completed yet. On the payment side, 1,800 project promoters have now received a final payment. There are 3,841 projects. Only 1,800 of them have been finished. There is a lot of work to do for the next year in terms of just over half of them. They will have plenty to do. There will be a transition programme which I will announce in a number of weeks. I can assure the Deputy there will be sufficient funding to allow them continue to operate. I have been in this space before. In 2016, it was the same story and there was a big furore which was sorted out amicably in the end. I want to work with these LEADER companies. I want them to engage with my Department and I will be doing likewise.

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