Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he is satisfied with the progress of the various Leader programmes here; the amount these programmes have allocated to their communities; if he has plans to change the qualifying criteria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41633/09]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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In answering this question I take it that the Deputy refers to the 'various LEADER Programmes' she is referring to the various Local Action Groups delivering the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2007-2013. The RDP 2007 – 2013 has funding of €425m available to be allocated to qualifying projects up to the end of 2013. Expenditure under the programme may continue up to the end of 2015.

There are 36 Local Action Groups contracted to deliver the LEADER elements of the RDP which commenced in February 2009. Each group has been given an overall programme allocation over the life of the programme. To date each group has been given an allocation to cover administration and animation costs for 2009. Project funding has been made available to cover 2009 and a partial project allocation has been made for 2010 and 2011. Further allocations will be made on a regular basis over the life of the programme subject to resource availability. Since the commencement of the programme in February 2009, €2.7m has been paid out on completed projects. It is estimated that up to a further €3million will be paid out on completed projects by the end of 2009 bringing the total spend in relation to project activity to €5.7million for the year. There is a total of €35.5 million in project activity on hand and more than €18million of that is in respect of fully approved projects. For a breakdown of the current position regarding each individual group's programme allocations, project commitments and project expenditure please refer to the table below.

In line with the bottom-up nature of the LEADER approach, the Local Action Group is the principle decision-maker in the allocation of project funding. Such decisions are made in the context of the Groups Local Development Strategy and in line with Department Operating rules and EU Regulations. Currently there are no plans to change the qualifying criteria for project funding. Given the level of progress to date and that the programme only got underway in February of this year I am satisfied that the programme is performing well and will achieve its overall targets.

Balance of overall programme funding of €25million remains to be allocated.