Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 468: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the amount of money his Department has provided to rural development and LEADER programmes; the way this money has been allocated and spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28425/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The current Rural Development Programme for Ireland covers the period 2007-2013. It has a budget of €5.778 billion over the lifetime of the Programme of which €2.339 billion will be funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EARDF) and €3.438 billion by the national exchequer. The contribution from the exchequer includes the necessary funding to match the EU contribution together with considerable additional national financing of €1.4 billion. The Programme is structured around three core Axes which have the aim of (a) improving the competitiveness of agriculture, (b) improving the environment and (c) improving the quality of life in rural areas.

The main measures and allocation of funds under Axes 1 and 2 are REPS/Natura (€2.98bn), Disadvantaged Areas (€1.8bn), Early Retirement (€418m), Installation Aid (€63m) and Farm Investment (€85m). There is a budget allocation of €425m. for the broader rural development measures administered under Axis 3 and these will be implemented using LEADER, which emphasises a "bottom up" approach comprising area based local development strategies implemented by local action groups. The Leader Programme is administered by my colleague the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Mr. Éamon Ó Cuív T.D.

Expenditure under the Programme at the end of June 2008 was close to €798.2m, being 13.8% of the total Programme budget. This expenditure has funded the investment and environmental measures under axis 1 and 2 and expenditure under the Leader measures will commence when the local action groups are fully established later this year.