Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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117. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider a request from the South West Mayo Development Company for €1.4 million in extra funding to support projects in the county; if he will acknowledge that SWMDC took an 18% reduction in funding earlier this year, despite having to take on extra work owing to the reorganisation of MFG territory; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48530/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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South West Mayo Development Company (SWDC) is contracted on behalf of my Department in relation to the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013. During 2011, the European Commission approved a change in the maximum co-funding rate from 55% to 85% for the LEADER elements of Ireland’s Rural Development Programme 2007 – 2013. This had the effect of reducing the available funding under the Programme from €427 million to an estimated €370 million.

It was therefore necessary to carry out a comprehensive review of the level of commitments and expenditure across the Programme in order to apportion the remaining funds among the Local Development Companies (LDCs), taking into account the level of commitments already entered into.

The redistribution of funding was conducted in as fair and equitable a manner as was possible and in the case of SWDC the revised allocation represents a decrease of 17.5% from their original allocation. Many of the other LDCs experienced similar or higher reductions.

In addition to the revised allocation which SWDC received it was also allocated a further €341,111 for the former MFG territory which it took over in 2012.

I am committed to the continued monitoring of this situation and my Department will review all commitments and expenditure levels later this month to ensure, in so far as is possible, that all available Programme funding is committed by end December 2013; allocations will again be revised if there is funding available for re-distribution.

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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119. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide additional funding, from unspent Leader funding, to North and East Kerry Development Board to enable the board to urgently provide the necessary grant aid and for a proposed facility (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48534/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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North and East Kerry Leader Partnership are contracted on behalf of my Department in relation to the implementation of the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013.

During 2011, the European Commission approved a change in the maximum co-funding rate from 55% to 85% in relation to LEADER. This had the effect of reducing the available funding under the Programme from €427 million to an estimated €370 million.

It was therefore necessary to carry out a comprehensive review of the level of commitments and expenditure across the Programme in order to apportion the remaining funds among the Local Development Companies (LDCs), taking into account the level of commitments already entered into. The redistribution of funding was conducted in as fair and equitable a manner as was possible.

I am committed to the continued monitoring of this situation and my Department will review all commitments and expenditure levels later this month to ensure, in so far as is possible, that all available Programme funding is committed by end December 2013. Allocations will again be revised if there is funding available for re-distribution.