Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the date on which the Leader funding scheme, in the past administered by Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta in the Kerry Gaeltachts, will be passed over to north, south and east Kerry partnerships; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52040/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta (MFG), the group contracted by my Department to deliver Axes 3 & 4 (LEADER) of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) in Irish Language Areas, went into liquidation on 7 September 2011. Progress, in the context of the legal “winding up” process, is currently ongoing. Local Action Groups in contiguous geographical areas have been engaged to implement an interim system to facilitate grant payment to projects that were at an advanced stage of development. Many of these project files have now been sent to the relevant Local Action Groups, including the two Kerry Local Development Companies referred to in the question, who are contacting the promoters directly to facilitate payment where appropriate. This also involves a full review of the project files by the Local Action Group. I understand that the process is now well underway to enable Local Action Groups to process eligible claims by project promoters for the payment of grants.

In the context of the delivery of Axes 3 & 4 (LEADER) of the RDP in Irish language areas for the remainder of the programming period, a long term delivery solution has been agreed with North and East Kerry Development and South Kerry Development Partnership for the Gaeltacht areas of Kerry. These groups are already working with communities on the ground to facilitate the continued delivery of RDP funds.