Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

23. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the channel that will manage any future EU community led local development funding and LEADER funding; and if the proposed alignment of local government will impact on this. [28068/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Significant matters regarding EU Community-led Local Development funding and LEADER funding for the 2014-20 period are yet to be agreed, including the value of funding and the regulations governing implementation. In the absence of these, and ahead of the submission of local development strategies, it would be inappropriate for me to confirm any implementation arrangements for future Community-led Local Development or LEADER programmes.

However, the Final Report of the Local Government/Local Development Alignment Group recommended that the Socio-Economic Committee structure “should be considered as the vehicle through which the LEADER approach is implemented for the 2014-2020 round of EU programmes”. This and other alignment recommendations are currently being advanced by my Department with the support of an Alignment Working Group. The latter comprises representatives of the City and County Managers Association, the Irish Local Development Network and Pobal, and is chaired by my Department.

The alignment process affords us a valuable opportunity to bring greater coherence to the delivery of local development programmes, especially at a time when resources are scarce and there is an increasing demand for services. It is important, therefore, that any new implementation arrangements for local development programmes focus on greater collaboration between local actors, achieving more effective targeting of those resources, delivering greater value for money and, most importantly, improving the delivery of services for citizens and communities.