Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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150. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide necessary funding to North and East Kerry Development Board to enable the board to fund an indoor recreational facility complex in Castleisland which is an urgent requirement for the social and sporting needs of the area. [42638/13]

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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151. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will allocate the necessary Leader funding to the North and East Kerry Development Board to service the Chorca Dhuibhne west Kerry area, which up to now had no dedicated Leader group to fund many projects (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42641/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 150 and 151 together.

My Department continues to monitor the situation with regard to the allocation and drawdown of funding under the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 (RDP). I advised all Local Development Companies (LDCs), including North and East Kerry Development Limited (NEKD), of their revised Programme allocations in May 2013 and LDCs were given until 31 August to allocate any remaining available funding to ensure that all funding is allocated before the end of 2013.

Currently there is approximately €19.2m in potential commitments at various stages of assessment with my Department and I envisage that this process will be complete by the end of October 2013.  Following this, all LDCs, including NEKD, will be informed if there is any availability of unallocated funds with a view to reaching full programme commitment by the end of 2013.

As the LDC is the principal decision maker on project funding, it will be the responsibility of the LDC to determine what projects are allocated funding, should additional funding become available from this process. I understand that both projects in question are being brought to the board of NEKD for approval in principle and, in this context, it will be a decision for the NEKD Partnership to determine how to address project funding should additional funds become available.