Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 354: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the amount of funding available to each of the LEADER groups to encourage investment and jobs; the percentage of the funds that will be needed for administration; when applications will be made available; the way it will be advertised; his views on whether this is one if the few areas that can provide funding to rural areas through aid from the EU; if he will ensure that as much as possible of the approved funding is provided in the earlier stage of the scheme to avoid panic and possible poor value being received from the fund in a rush to utilise it before the closing date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28272/09]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware, 36 Local Action Groups have been contracted to deliver the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2007-2013. The Programme has been fully operational since late January 2009. Under the RDP, the main measure providing direct support for investment and job creation is Support for Business Creation and Development. In addition, there a number of other measures in the Programme, which will contribute to job creation. These include (i) Diversification into Non Agricultural Activities, (ii) Encouragement of Tourism Activities, (iii) Basic Services for the Economy and Rural Population, (iv) Village Renewal and Development and (v) Conservation and Upgrading of the Rural Heritage.

Over the lifetime of the RDP, each Group has been assigned a total allocation as well as an allocation under each individual measure. Allocations under the Business Creation and Development Measure are detailed in the table below. Under the Programme, a maximum of 20% of the overall Programme allocation can be assigned to administration costs.

In line with the bottom-up nature of the LEADER approach, the Local Action Group is the principal decision-maker in the allocation of project funding. My Department does not have any role to play in the decision-making process at group level. All Groups are currently accepting applications for funding under the various measures in the RDP, in accordance with their individual Local Development Strategies.

I can assure the Deputy that my Department is working closely with the Local Action Groups so that they maximise the impact of all funding received through the RDP in their own areas. This is being done in the context of the local strategies of the individual groups and in line with the overall objectives of the Programme. Each local Action group has received authorisation to approve projects for 2009, 2010 and 2011 to a total value as per table.