Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the status of a grant application to Mayo North East LEADER Partnership Company Teoranta by an enterprise (details supplied) in County Mayo; when a decision will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9286/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Mayo North East Leader Partnership is the Local Action Group contracted by my Department to deliver both the Rural Development Programme and the Local Community Development Programme to the North Mayo area.

On foot of correspondence received in 2011 regarding a possible governance issue at Mayo North East LEADER Partnership Company, a comprehensive investigation into the issues outlined was undertaken. This proved to be a very complex investigation and, on foot of its initial findings and in the context of the Department’s responsibility to ensure that RDP funding is delivered in an efficient and effective way, a decision was made to suspend project approvals by the Partnership on 7 March 2012.

The project referred to in the question had not been approved for funding prior to 7 of March and could not therefore be progressed any further at that time. The investigation has been completed and a Final Report has been provided to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine as Managing Authority for the RDP. That Department has subsequently reported the findings to the European Commission and the external accreditation auditors (Deloitte). The Report has been considered in my own Department also and an Action Plan has been agreed with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. My Department has also agreed a series of actions to be taken by Mayo North East LEADER Partnership Company, and these actions are at an advanced stage of implementation. Accordingly I expect to be in contact with Mayo North LEADER Partnership shortly in regard to resumption of project approvals.