Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 325: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to a recently carried out feasibility study supported by the Leader programme, administered by the South Kerry Development Partnership Limited (details supplied), if there are other sources of funding available to this group to develop this much needed facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28782/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2007-2013 has funding of €427m available to be allocated to qualifying projects up to the end of 2013. One of the objectives of the RDP is to identify and provide appropriate amenity and leisure facilities to local communities not otherwise available to them and, in principle, it is possible that the facility referred to in the question could be eligible under the RDP.

There are 36 Local Action Groups contracted on my Department's behalf to deliver the RDP throughout the country and these groups are the principal decision-makers in relation to the allocation of project funding. Such decisions are made in the context of the individual group's local development strategy and in line with Departmental operating rules and EU regulations. South Kerry Development Partnership, who have been contracted by my Department to deliver the RDP in the South Kerry area, can be contacted at West Main Street, Cahersiveen, Co. Kerry to discuss this further.