Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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7. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government when the new Leader programme will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3437/15]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I congratulate the Minister of State on her transfer to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. The Leader programme is probably the biggest single programme within the Minister of State's responsibility. I know what the Leader programme is. I know the money that is going to be provided is wanted. All I wish to know is when it will start.

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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My Department is currently working with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the European Commission to finalise the text of the rural development programme with a view to commencing the Leader local development strategy selection process in the coming weeks. The Leader local development strategy selection process will be open and transparent and will consist of two separate stages, providing the opportunity for all interested local development and community groups to participate. Stage one, a call for expressions of interest to design and implement Leader local development strategies for the 2014-2020 programme period, will commence shortly. This stage will be open to any entity that can show broad local and community participation and that has a coherent vision for the development of their area.

While the Government’s preferred outcome is one local development strategy for each area, there will be no limit on the number of groups allowed to express an interest from within a sub-regional area. The expressions of interest will be evaluated and entities will be selected to develop prospective local development strategies through a process of assessment by an independent evaluation committee, comprising an independent chair, officials from my Department and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, along with external rural and local development expertise. Notwithstanding the level of work to be done in advance of the programme becoming operational, I expect the programme will be in a position to start selecting local development strategies for implementation by mid-2015.

In regard to the Deputy's question on when this process will commence, the expressions of interest stage is imminent. This is a major priority for me. I went to Brussels last week to discuss the matter with the European Commission, including the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Phil Hogan. We had a positive meeting and I was able to impress on the Commission the importance of rolling out this programme at the earliest opportunity in order that we can support communities.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I understand the Minister of State will be receiving a letter of comfort to allow her to commence the process. Can she confirm that she cannot invite expressions of interest until she gets that letter of comfort? Having received the letter of comfort and invited expressions of interest, is it correct that the tendering companies will have a period of approximately six weeks to respond, following which there will be an evaluation process and the drafting of detailed plans? Preparation of detailed plans could take six to eight weeks, or longer, and they will then have to be assessed. At the end of that process, contracts will need to be put in place. Given that all sorts of answers were provided in this Chamber predicting that the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, would be up and running long before now, it is unlikely that we will see any Leader companies disbursing money in 2015.

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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The Deputy is very familiar with the process of establishing Leader companies and the potential for a hiatus at various points in the development of the programme. I have gone through the process on a number of occasions, and I know that it always comes out very well in the end. My job is to expedite the rural development programme and I assure the Deputy that we had an extremely positive meeting in Brussels last week. It is a priority for me to get it rolled out at the earliest opportunity because I know communities depend on this support. It will take time to go through the process, as the Deputy is aware, but we will get there in the end.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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That is the nub of my question. We will get there in the end but these processes always take longer than anticipated and Ministers tend to suggest overly optimistic timescales. In light of what happened with SICAP, as well as my own experience, I believe the timescale suggested by the Minister of State is totally unrealistic. How much money has been put aside for Leader expenditure under the new programme this year? If, as I suspect, it becomes obvious that she will not spend the money under the programme this year, will she arrange for the money to be spent in rural areas under other programmes this year? Otherwise, rural areas will lose out on this money.

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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The Deputy is entitled to believe what he wants. All I can do is reassure him that we will be rolling out the rural development programme at the earliest opportunity. Expressions of interest are imminent and the details will be announced shortly.