Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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4. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of companies/entities that have been selected to deliver the Leader programme in various areas around the country; the number of areas where there will be an open tender to select the entity to deliver this programme; when it is hoped to have the selection of entities to deliver the programme completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29233/15]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The next day for priority questions to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is likely to be the first week of November. At maximum, we have three parliamentary questions days left in this Dáil. We are really coming to the end game here. As such, I seek a comprehensive update from the Department on the roll-out of the Leader programme. When can we expect to see it rolled out and operational nationally?

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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I thank the Deputy for raising the question as it allows me to set out that we are making progress in this area. The Leader element of the Rural Development Programme 2014–20 will provide €250 million in financial resources to support the development of rural communities. Under stage one of the selection process for the new programme, any entity wishing to be considered as a local action group was invited to submit an expression of interest. For the purposes of the new programme, there are 28 sub-regional areas in Ireland and 45 separate expressions of interest were received. A single expression of interest was received in 19 of the 28 areas and at least two expressions of interest were received in the remaining nine areas.

As the Deputy will be aware, I established an independent evaluation committee to evaluate the expressions of interest received. The evaluation committee recently met and the following is the current position. Of the 45 expressions of interest received, one was formally withdrawn before assessment. Of the remaining 44, 42 met the minimum criteria and the evaluation committee decided that these should proceed to the next stage of the process, which is the preparation of local development strategies for their areas. Those who were successful in this process have been notified and invited to attend workshops and presentations in Tullamore, County Offaly, this morning. The purpose of the event is to set out in detail what is expected in terms of the content and quality of local development strategies. A minimum of six months will be allowed for the preparation of local development strategies, but I expect that not all areas will require the full six months to prepare them. As such, I am hopeful that many areas will have their strategies approved and be in a position to begin delivery on the ground by autumn 2015.

In areas where a single strategy is submitted, the evaluation committee will review and evaluate these strategies with a view to ensuring that they meet the required standard. In areas where entities do not come to an agreement and multiple strategies are submitted, it will be a matter for the evaluation committee to make a decision on which local development strategy best meets the needs of a particular community. In this situation, the evaluation committee will not make a decision on the successful strategy until all strategies for that sub-regional area have been submitted for assessment.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for the information. I think it was a minor error when the Minister referred to "a minimum of six months". I take it that it is a maximum of six months that is allowed to prepare a strategy.

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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It is a minimum.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Is the Minister of State saying there is a minimum of six months to prepare a strategy? If I take six months from now, I am into next year. I presume it is a maximum period.

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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I am going to presume it is a maximum too and that there was a typo in the script.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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As such, it could be anything from two months to six months. That means that where we have one strategy, it could be ready for appraisal at the end of September. Allowing in reality for six to eight weeks for evaluation and getting a strategy to the Minister of State for her approval, we are talking about having the early starters at the end of November. My experience tells me that is realistically the kind of timeframe in which we are working.

If there are two strategies the slower of the two could take up to six months and everything will wait until it is submitted. Must a plan for the total area rather than a sub-area be submitted?

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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It will take six months in some cases to develop a local development strategy and this is what is allowed. Entities successful at stage one have been invited to go to stage two, which is the local development strategy development phase. All entities invited to submit a local development strategy will be provided with a comprehensive template to assist in the development process. We are working very hard. More than €12 million has been allotted to County Galway. Those working on this are very pragmatic people and, like me, they will want to get their hands on the money. It will be in their interest not to slow down the process but to get the prize at the end of the development strategy. The quicker they have a development strategy the quicker we will draw down the money. Most communities would want to see this happen. It is not in anybody's interest to slow down anything in these areas deliberately.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I would not accuse anybody of deliberately slowing it down, but if one begins from a standing start it could take six months to develop a plan. If this happens, they will have to wait. The Minister of State mentioned County Galway and I did not, but I will take her up on it. If there were two bidders in County Galway each would have to submit a plan for the entirety of County Galway and they could not submit a plan for part of County Galway. There would be two or three plans for the whole area. Each bid must cover the whole declared area, such as all of County Leitrim or all of County Galway. A plan cannot be submitted for a sub-area. Will the Minister of State confirm this because it is important? In any area with competing bids, the slowest bid will determine the timescale up to six months. This seems to indicate that by the time contracts are signed and all the formalities are done, it will be next year. I take it the single bid counties could be three months faster.

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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It is a fair assessment that the slower strategy will perhaps take up to six months. I draw the Deputy's attention to the fact communities want this money drawn down. The faster the local development strategy is submitted the better. The independent evaluation committee will make its decision on the strategies and we will leave it to its expert view as to how local development strategies meet the criteria. It will be the local development strategy that best serves the needs of the community which will be chosen. The local development committees are working very hard on the strategies and we are looking forward to see what they will come forward with.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Is it correct that they must cover the entire area?

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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They must cover the sub-regional area.