Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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7. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development her plans to increase the funding of the LEADER action group in County Clare to assist in the economic recovery of the county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24315/20]

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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I ask the Minister for her plans to increase the funding of the LEADER action group in County Clare to assist in the economic recovery of the county, and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. LEADER is a multi-annual programme with a budget of €250 million over the period from 2014 to 2020. Some €225 million of this budget has been allocated to the local actions groups, LAGs, which deliver the programme at a local level. The balance of €25 million is provided for specific, thematic projects and is allocated at national level once projects have been approved by the LAG.

The total funding allocated to the local action group in County Clare is in excess of €8.9 million. This includes €6.6 million for core project activity and €2.3 million in funding for the LAG's administration costs and for animating projects in the county. To date, the Clare LAG has allocated over 80%, or €5.3 million, of its project budget to 190 applications. This leaves a balance of €1.3 million available for allocation before the end of 2020. No additional funding is available for reallocation to the LAGs for core project activity under the current LEADER programme. However, the national thematic LEADER food initiative may be an appropriate funding source for some of the applications being considered by the LAG. The food initiative supports the development of food and drink businesses throughout rural Ireland. It covers the renovation and extension of production facilities and the purchasing of processing equipment, as well as supporting participants in the artisan food and beverage sector in areas such as market development, competitiveness and innovation. Further details of the food initiative are included in the LEADER operating guidelines which are available to all LAGs.

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Clare Local Development Company is an outstanding organisation. It has existed for 28 years and has managed LEADER funding in County Clare in an outstanding fashion. I pay tribute to the CEO, Doirin Graham, and her staff. As the Minister will be aware, last year, the then Minister, Deputy Ring, awarded the top ten performing local action groups an additional €5 million. Clare Local Development Company came 11th on that list. It lost out by 0.2%. We are living in a Covid world. There are many shovel-ready projects that could proceed if additional moneys were given to Clare Local Development Company. I am conscious that we are near the end of the programme but if we used common sense, we could allocate more money and get these projects going.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I know Deputy Carey is a passionate supporter of the work carried out by the local development company in County Clare. The Deputy raised the issue of additional funding with me on a number of occasions. Deputy Carey is right that the former Minister, Deputy Ring, allocated additional funding to the top ten performing LEADER companies countrywide. That additional money was a positive move to reward the LEADER companies that were delivering the projects most efficiently. Like everything else, unfortunately, there has to be a cut-off point. This means that number 11 on the list was Clare and it just missed out. I would love to be able to tell the Deputy today that we will have extra funding for Clare, but unfortunately I am not in a position to that. I will, however, keep the situation under review in the event additional funding becomes available. My advice to Clare is to keep up the good work, get its projects delivered and get its money spent, that is, for those companies doing that.

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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I welcomed the initiative in July when the Minister enabled Clare local development companies and other companies to move funding, where there was a surplus of money in one stream, to other streams. That approach has allowed the Ennis scout hall to be developed, a project that was in jeopardy. The Minister's decision enabled Clare local development companies and others to do that and enabled that project to move ahead. We will have a 21st century building in the heart of Ennis to serve young people from the age of six up to 18. I thank the Minister for that. I ask the Minister to use her initiative again. There is a fund of €25 million in the food initiative. Is this going to be spent by the end of the year? I very much doubt it. The local development companies in Clare and throughout the State could avail of that, especially for shovel-ready projects.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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That funding is available and I believe it is in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I will certainly check that out. If any of the projects are involved with food or food processing through the LEADER companies, they should apply for that specific food initiative. There is money available there for those types of projects. If other groups in County Clare want to look at other funding sources, there is the town and village scheme, the rural regeneration development fund and a number of possible other funding avenues they may decide to use to support good projects.

I compliment the LEADER companies across the country because they have done a really good job in helping communities to develop projects and in helping businesses to set up. When one looks at the list, it is well-spent money.