Written answers

Thursday, 4 October 2012

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Rural Development Policy

Photo of Tom FlemingTom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding an appeal in relation to a rural development Leader funding application for a feasibility study to develop a recreational facility for County Kerry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42487/12]

Photo of Phil HoganPhil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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For the purposes of implementing Axes 3 & 4 of the Rural Development Programme (RDP), the following areas are excluded:

The City Council boundaries of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Waterford and Limerick

The Borough Council boundaries of Kilkenny, Sligo and Wexford

The Town Council boundaries of Athlone, Ballina, Castlebar, Cavan, Dundalk, Ennis, Killarney, Letterkenny, Mallow, Monaghan, Mullingar, Tralee, Tuam and Tullamore.

During negotiations in respect of the Rural Development Programme, the European Commission indicated that the OECD definition of rural areas should be used to define the rural areas that would be covered by the Programme. The OECD defines rural areas as those with a population density of less than 150 persons per square kilometre. It was considered, in the Irish context, that a more appropriate course of action would be to remove the urban areas defined as hubs and gateways in the National Spatial Strategy from coverage under the Programme.

The use of this definition, rather than a population density calculation, ensures that Axes 3 & 4 Rural Development Programme funding is available to a more significant number of rural areas, which would otherwise not receive funding under the Programme. This approach was adopted following detailed negotiations with the European Commission and is the best possible outcome in relation to Programme coverage. The positive impact on rural areas will far outweigh any potential loss in hubs and gateways and, in overall terms, the level of investment resulting from the Rural Development Programme is a significant boost to the country as a whole.

This specific element of the eligibility of this project was referred to the Eligibility Review Group (ERG) for consideration. The ERG process offers support to Local Development Companies (LDCs) when considering eligibility under the RDP but does not make a definitive ruling on overall project eligibility as that function rests entirely with the LDC. The ERG looks only at the query submitted to it and initially in this case the ERG considered the project ineligible. The project was subsequently submitted for review with additional clarifications and documentation; in this context, I understand that the ERG has informed the LDC, in this case South Kerry Development, that, on the basis of the additional information submitted through the ERG review process, it would consider the proposed project eligible in principle subject to the project meeting all other relevant criteria.

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