Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1581. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the population of each of the proposed new local action groups areas for the administration of the new Leader programme net of all towns with a population of 15,000 inhabitants or more; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34486/14]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1582. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the population of County Galway, excluding the population of all towns with a population of 15,000 inhabitants or more; the names of these towns; the reason that County Galway is not being allocated more than one local action group in view of the size of the county; in view of the fact that the Connemara region is physically cut off from the rest of the county, has a very different topography, settlement pattern and agricultural industry and in view of the fact that the largest Gaeltacht in the country is situated in Connemara along with over half of the island population in the country and in view of the fact that County Cork which has only 2.2 times the population is being given three LAGs; if this decision can be appealed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34487/14]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1583. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the arrangements being put in place to ensure that services under the new Leader programme will be provided fully through the Irish language to Gaeltacht communities where they require such a service; if this will be part of the tender process for assessing applications that include Gaeltacht areas in their area of application; the discussions he has had with the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in relation to this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34488/14]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1584. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the reason it was decided not to designate the offshore islands as an area for a local area group under the RDP 2014-2020 in view of the fact that a LAG operated successfully for the islands during the last two Leader programmes; the independent external assessment carried out as to the effect this decision could have on the islands including the loss of island based employment in administering the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34489/14]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1585. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if it will be a condition of the new Leader programme that the head office of each LAG will be in a rural area as defined in the RDP 2014-2020 for the Leader programme, that is outside all towns with a population of 15,000 or more; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34490/14]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1586. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the requirements that will be involved and the assessment methodologies that will be employed to assess whether a partnership or a legal entity have the financial capacity, either through their own resources or with third party assistance, to finance programme commitments under the new Leader programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34496/14]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1587. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to provide, under the new Leader programme, that projects not undertaking to carry out an economic activity, can receive up to €500,000 assistance for any one project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34497/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1581 to 1587, inclusive, together.

The Government has, through its local government reform process as outlined in Putting People First, initiated a process at local level to ensure that local development works more effectively to support the development of local communities in a co-ordinated and sustainable way. The LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme form an important part of this process for rural communities.  Following a comprehensive consultation and needs analysis process a draft Rural Development Programme for Ireland for the period 2014 – 2020, which included an outline of the LEADER element, was submitted to the European Commission in July 2014. An iterative process involving the authorities in Ireland and the European Commission is now under way and the draft programme will be finalised taking account of the outcome of that engagement.

Separately, in the context of a further national consultation process, I am aware that questions have been raised regarding a number of issues, including the definition of sub-regional areas for LEADER purposes, and in this context I am currently considering a number of options.I am anxious that the implementation of the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme reflects a community led approach in so far as is possible and in order to ensure this, each sub-regional area will be responsible for determining its own needs and outlining how it proposes to address those needs in its Local Development Strategy. This approach will also apply to those areas that contain Gaeltacht and island communities and I encourage both of these communities to ensure that they engage fully with the Local Development Strategy development processes for their respective areas to ensure that their concerns are fully addressed.

I do not propose to be overly prescriptive on what should be contained in any given Local Development Strategy as I believe that this is contrary to the ethos of a community led local development approach. In this context it will be largely down to Local Action Groups to outline, in their strategies, how they propose to administer and manage the funding, including the locations of their operations, within the framework outlined in the selection process.

My Department is also considering all relevant options in relation to the financial management of the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme with a view to ensuring that the system implemented is fair, effective and efficient.  The definitive outline of the LEADER element is yet to be finalised and the maximum levels of funding, eligibility criteria and rates of aid for projects to be funded have yet to be decided. A detailed set of operating rules and procedures will be prepared once the Programme has been agreed and approved by the European Commission.

It is important that the necessary time is taken to ensure that the systems that are established to deliver the LEADER elements of the RDP are robust, inclusive and ensure that all of the funding available at a local level is maximised in support of the sustainable development of rural communities all over Ireland.  Full clarity regarding the detail of the implementation systems being put in place will be made available as soon as possible.