Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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188. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on the roll out of Leader; when he expects local groups and businesses will be able to apply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17012/15]

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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Under the EU regulatory framework governing the LEADER element of the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, each EU Member State must conduct an open and transparent process to select both the Local Development Strategies and the Local Action Group(s) for each sub-regional area. Accordingly, my Department is conducting a two stage process. The first stage, which is an Expressions of Interest (EOI) stage, was recently launched and any entity wishing to be considered as a Local Action Group for their area has until 15 May 2015 to submit an EOI. Further details are available on my Department’s website at:.

As part of this process my Department recently held six information sessions, two each in Nenagh, Tullamore and Sligo.

Local Action Groups successful in the first stage of the process will be invited and supported to design a Local Development Strategy for their area in stage two of the process which I envisage will begin in the early part of the third quarter of this year.

I expect that some Local Development Strategies will be operational and that funding of these Local Development Strategies will be available by Autumn 2015. It is at this point that local groups and businesses will be able to apply to the designated Local Action Group in their area for funding to support specific projects.