Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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350. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will further consider a request by Monaghan County Council (details supplied) regarding the rural development programme funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11782/14]

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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383. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the level of co-funding he will make available to the new LEADER programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12080/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 350 and 383 together.

Ireland has agreed an allocation of €2.1 billion for the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 (RDP) with the EU. Within that, the governing EU Regulations provide for a minimum allocation of 5% for LEADER. The Government has decided to increase this to 7% and I welcome this. Therefore €153 million in EU funding will be available for LEADER during the 2014 – 2020 programming period. This will be co-financed by Exchequer funding and this is currently subject to discussions between my Department, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Following the conclusion of these discussions, I will announce the overall value of the LEADER elements of the Programme.