Tom Barry (Cork East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

554. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government when rural development plan funding will be open for applications, following the reconfiguration of Leader groups. [4580/15]

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

557. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the proposed timetable for negotiation of the new Leader roll-out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4366/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 554 and 557 together.

My Department is currently working with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the European Commission to finalise the text of the Rural Development Programme with a view to commencing the LEADER Local Development Strategy selection process in the coming weeks.

The selection process will be open and transparent and will consist of two separate stages, providing the opportunity for all interested local development and community g roups to participate. Stage one, a call for Expressions of Interest to design and implement LEADER Local Development Strategies for the 2014-2020 programme period, will commence shortly. This stage will be open to any entity that can demonstrate broad local and community participation and that has a coherent vision for the development of their area. In stage two of the selection process Local Action Groups successful in stage one will be invited to submit a Local Development Strategy for their area. Groups will be given a minimum of six months to prepare their strateg ies however if a strategy should be complete within the six month period it will be assessed on completion with a view to getting successful strategies operational as soon as possible. Where multiple strategies are expected from any sub regional area , final decisions regarding the selection of strategies will not be made until all viable strategies have been assessed.

While the Government’s preferred outcome is one Local Development Strategy for each area, there will be no limit on the number of Groups that can express an interest from within a sub-regional area. The Expressions of Interest will be evaluated and entities will be selected to develop prospective Local Development Strategies through a process of assessment by an independent Evaluation Committee, comprising an independent chair, officials from my Department and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, along with external rural and local development expertise.

Notwithstanding the level of work to be done in advance of the programme becoming operational, I expect that the programme will be in a position to start selecting Local Development Strategies for implementation by mid-2015.