Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 2: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the progress made with regard to the new programme for rural enterprise development promised in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12632/08]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Leader element of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 represents my Department's response to the commitment in the programme for Government in regard to rural enterprise development. In that regard, I hope to be in a position to commence the process of selecting the local action groups to deliver the Leader element of the rural development programme in the near future. The funding available for the delivery of Leader-type activities under the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 will amount to €425.4 million, almost treble the €150 million available for the 2000-2006 period. The new programme will complement the other funding for rural development measures by my Department.

In recent years, my Department has pursued a process of cohesion of local delivery structures in order to simplify and enhance the effectiveness of the delivery of a range of local development programmes. Following extensive consultations with and between the local agencies to develop the most suitable configurations of groups, in the course of 2007, the Government decided on revised areas of coverage for local development groups and clarified the arrangements for the membership of the boards 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. My intention is to have the cohesion process completed in advance of the roll-out of the new NDP programmes, including the Leader element of the rural development programme. At this stage, local development bodies are in place in some 53 of the 55 operational areas agreed by the Government. The representative networks of Leader and partnership groups, whom I met on 31 January, have assured me that they are fully behind the Government's policy on cohesion and will endeavour to ensure that local delivery structures are in place across the full 55 areas in the coming weeks.

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

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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I spoke to the Minister of State about some of the questions that were referred from his Department to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, but I did not realise that the oral question was also bisected. In my original question, I asked him if the €150 million community development fund promised in the programme for Government has yet been established, what was the total amount paid out to date from the fund, as well as the total amount paid out in the current year. However, that was deducted in transit and I hope the Minister of State can look at that as he has done for the other questions that were transferred.

The programme for Government determined that a number of things would be done to establish a vibrant rural community. Among those was the establishment of a community and development agency as a one stop shop for advice on grant supports, business opportunities and training and development to manage grant spending under new EU funding for rural development. It would conduct an enterprise audit to review the use of existing and redundant agricultural buildings and manufacturing plants in rural areas. In tandem with Fáilte Ireland, the Leader programme, agricultural associations, county enterprise boards and rural tourism operators, it would devise a new plan for farm-based rural tourism, including the development of farm-based niche visitor attractions.

How far advanced is that programme? There remains much work to be done on the proposals for farmers seeking to use their extra facilities or for rural groups that want to make applications. What has been done so far? Have any meetings taken place as was suggested in the programme for Government? Was an enterprise audit carried out? Is there a one-stop shop in place? What has been done to implement the major programme to promote rural countryside recreation? This is one of the questions that I thought was applicable to the Minister of State and I am grateful to him for investigating it. However, I find it difficult to understand why the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is involved with recreation.

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Very significant progress has been made in our Department on that issue. For the questions that were transferred to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, I will arrange to have comprehensive replies submitted. The cohesion process in our area has been significantly advanced. There are a small number of outstanding matters that need to be resolved, but issues surrounding structures, governance, boundaries and so on have largely been clarified. There are probably just two outstanding issues. It may well be that those two issues prove to be more of a hurdle than we had anticipated, but we are confident that soon there will be clarity about where we go next.

The companies in the process of cohesion can continue the closing down process and carry out accounting exercises, such as the pay-out of grants, from the previous programme. They will then be able to start the new development programme as soon as matters have been clarified. I have been informed by the Minister and in my meetings that significant progress can be made shortly.