Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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518. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to provide additional funds for the re-distribution to LEADER companies that have approved ready to go projects; the amount of LEADER funding ring-fenced for projects in the areas serviced by West Cork Development Programme, which will have a substantial economic impact on the West Cork region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3745/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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In December 2013 I announced an additional €4 million under the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 (RDP). Funding of €1 million is being targeted at the Gaeltacht areas which suffered a loss of funding when Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta went into liquidation in 2011 and €3 million to the areas which experienced a reduction of greater than 15% in the revised allocation awarded in May 2013. The €3 million was apportioned using the relevant Local Development Company’s (LDC) original percentage of the Programme.

In this regard, West Cork Development Partnership was awarded an additional €288,158 for its non-Gaeltacht areas and €45,700 for its Gaeltacht areas. This gives a revised allocation for West Cork of €12,798,934. In line with the ‘bottom-up’ approach to rural development it is a matter for the Board of the LDC to decide on what projects should be funded with this additional funding.