Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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11. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when she will sign contracts with successful bidders to deliver the Leader programme to facilitate the commencement of work on delivering projects; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19877/16]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I believe there will be another launch of Leader programmes tomorrow. Have the contracts been signed? When will the Leader companies be open for business in terms of taking applications? That is what people really care about, rather than the official launch.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I am pleased to note that I will launch the Leader programme at an event in Virginia, County Cavan, tomorrow morning. My Department has issued funding agreements to local action groups in 21 of the 28 sub-regional areas designated under the Leader programme and I expect that most, if not all, of these local action groups will be in a position to finalise their respective agreements at this event.

The delivery of Leader will commence immediately in these areas and the local action groups can begin receiving applications starting from Monday morning. I am aware that a large amount of work has been ongoing behind the scenes in each area since the closure of the old Leader programme, aided with funding from my Department, and I expect that these groups should be able to hit the ground running in terms of receiving and approving applications.

I am also confident that funding agreements will issue in the remaining seven Leader sub-regional areas in the coming weeks as the local action groups provide the additional information and clarifications requested by the independent selection committee established to review and select the strategies submitted in each area. The independent selection committee met today to review progress and will meet again in early August to facilitate the finalisation of strategies. I met the committee members for the first time today.

There is also the possibility of an appeal in two of the competitive areas where more than one strategy was submitted and that process must be allowed to run its course before a funding agreement can issue. I can assure the Deputy that funding agreements will issue in all of these remaining areas as a matter of urgency once all of the outstanding issues have been resolved.

I am pleased to note that Leader funding can now begin to flow into communities throughout Ireland. I look forward to providing funding to the many fine Leader projects that will undoubtedly emerge in the coming months and years.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Despite the fact that there is €40 million in the Estimate, there is always a big delay between getting an application approved and actually spending the money. Even allowing for the administration money that will be taken out of that €40 million, and whatever legacy funding is left over from the previous programme, the Minister is likely to have an underspend of €30 million this year. Will she use that money for other purposes within the Department? There will be a massive underspend, or what used to be termed a cash cow, in the Department. Will the Minister seek permission from the Department of Finance to reallocate that to priority rural areas within her Department's remit, to ensure that that money is used this year? There is no way it can be spent on Leader this year.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy mentioned funding that we have set aside for Leader this year. As savings emerge, it is my plan to build on the success of the rural economic development zones pilot scheme. I hope to announce details of a REDZ scheme to facilitate the initiation of the new REDZ project. If there are savings I will be keeping in close contact with my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, to manage the pressures within my allocation.

I want to see funding being allocated to rural Ireland. There is no doubt that that is where it is needed. The Deputy will be aware that my Vote crosses many different areas and as such it is complex in terms of management. There will be demands on the Department in terms of the budget but if there are opportunities in this space I will be happy to look at them, particularly those in the rural development area. I want to spend as much as I can of this funding. I am keen to ensure that these funding agreements are signed without delay. Like the Deputy, I want to see the money being spent in the communities, because that is what makes the difference.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I accept that, but we all know there is a time lag on the spending of money. The money could, for example, be transferred to the CLÁR fund, which is under the responsibility of the Minister's colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ring. It would benefit greatly from a transfer of €10 million, €15 million or even €20 million, but the transfer would have to be done quickly because it takes time even for the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, to spend money and he does not have to go through the same convoluted process of a Leader application. The money needs to be redistributed early. There will be an underspend; I can see it a mile away. We need to put more money into rural Ireland, particularly rural infrastructure. We should not be handing money back to the Exchequer. Will the Minister confirm that the commitment made to Fianna Fáil, when the supply arrangement was made with it, to increase Leader funding over the period between now and 2020 will be honoured and that funding over and above that provided in the rural development programme will be provided in next year's budget?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I will be seeking an increase in Leader funding under the budgetary process, as per the commitment in that regard in the programme of Government.

There are many good schemes in rural Ireland. The Minister of State, Deputy Ring, and I will review the schemes and we will do all we can to ensure this funding goes to rural Ireland. The regional employment development scheme piloted last year was very successful and could be developed further. During a recent visit to Tubbercurry I opened a project funded under the regional employment development scheme under which an old building vacated by a creamery was adapted into office space and provided with broadband and so on. I would like to see more projects of that type because they revitalise our rural towns and rural areas.