Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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140. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will allow a seamless transfer of applications for funding under the current Leader programme, where funding is unavailable to the new programme 2014-2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53486/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Rural Development Programmes are implemented through a strict regulatory regime which is set by the European Commission. Each Programming period has specific Commission and Council Regulations, to which the Programme must adhere, and these include the priorities and eligibility criteria for the Programme. These may change from one Programming period to the next.

Applications under the current Programme are made on foot of a local development strategy for the relevant area. When the 2014-2020 Programme commences my Department will be issuing a call for new local development strategies and in line with Putting People First – An Action Plan for Local Government the new delivery model will be aligned with local government.

Based on all of these factors , I do not expect applications under the current Programme to be automatically transferrable to the 2014-2020 Programme as the criteria, priorities and delivery mechanisms may have changed.