Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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253. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the appeal of a decision by his Department to revoke an application which was approved by Mayo North East Leader Partnership by an organisation (details supplied) and deemed ineligible for funding. [10855/15]

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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In line with the ‘bottom-up’ approach to rural development under the Leader elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013, Local Action Groups (LAGs), in this case Mayo North East Leader Partnership, are the principal decision-makers in relation to the allocation of project funding. Such decisions are made in the context of the LAG’s local development strategy and in line with Programme’s Operating Rules and EU regulations.

The EU Regulations governing the Programme require that a certain percentage of claims are subject to Department inspection/audit. The project referred to in the details supplied was subject to such an inspection and was deemed ineligible for funding by my Department. This decision was subject to the full appeals procedure including my Department’s Appeal Panel, which upheld the finding of ineligibility. It is a matter for the project in question to appeal this decision to the Office of the Ombudsman, if they so wish.