Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 7: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the position of the delivery of the new LEADER and social inclusion programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12353/08]

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 18: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the position regarding the implementation of the new rural development programme 2007 to 2013; and when funding will be available in order that projects under LEADER currently awaiting funding can proceed. [12341/08]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 18 together.

I refer the Deputies to my reply to a priority question on a related issue earlier today and to my previous replies to Question Nos. 10 and 19 of 14 February 2008.

As indicated in those replies, 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 for Ireland 2007-2013 in the near future. The funding available for the delivery of LEADER-type activities under the Rural Development Programme for Ireland 2007-2013 will amount to €425.4 million — almost treble the €150 million available for the 2000-06 period. The new programme will complement the other funding for rural development measures by my Department.

On the local development social inclusion programme, the position is that the National Development Plan 2007-2013 commits €49.6 billion to social inclusion including some €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 to embed their operations. A value for money review of the programme is currently being concluded. My intention is to use the findings from this review to shape the future programme.

As indicated to the House earlier today, my intention is to have the cohesion process completed in advance of the roll-out of the new national development programmes, including the Leader programme and the local development social inclusion programme.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Have there been any job losses or lay-offs due to the delay in rolling out the Leader programme? I support a Minister conducting a review of the previous programmes and if there were any negatives in them, I would support a Minister if he or she had to correct that. What I cannot support is that while we knew this was coming and that there would be a new Leader programme, we have buildings and staff all over this country and the Leader programme has not yet been rolled out. It does not make sense for the Government to pay staff if the Leader programme is not being rolled out. I want to see that programme rolled out as quickly as possible.

Could the Minister of State provide an update on what has happened to the complaint relating to the Leader company in Cavan that was made to Europe? What is the problem, what is the complaint and is this holding back the roll out of the Leader programme?

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Letters have been exchanged between the parties — between legal representatives for the companies involved and the European Commission and our Department. Correspondence was received by our Department a number of weeks ago. That most recent correspondence from the Commission has been responded to and we in the Department are waiting for the Commission's response to it. Our Department is confident that the position it has taken on the cohesion process will be vindicated but we await the outcome of that.

In the meantime, as I stated earlier and in my reply, the cohesion companies are in a position to wind up and complete existing programmes which had been in place under the current national development plan and we believe that it will be possible to roll out the new programme fairly expeditiously once this issue has been resolved.

On loss of jobs or redeployment, as each company is a separate company it is largely in the hands of those companies. It would be naive to suggest that there would not be at least some redundancies involved but it is too early to say yet what the extent of those will be.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Has the value for money review of the Leader programmes been concluded and when will that be made public?

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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It has been concluded. I am satisfied that my officials will make arrangements for the publication and dissemination of the report in a manner that will be consistent with the value for money policy review guidelines issued by the Department of Finance. I am given to understand it will be available quite shortly.