Written answers

Tuesday, 12 May 2015

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Leader Programmes Funding

Photo of Gabrielle McFaddenGabrielle McFadden (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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605. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the way the 2014 to 2020 Leader programme funding is to be delivered locally, under revised structures; when the funding programme will commence; the way the new delivery process will differ from the previous programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18704/15]

Photo of Ann PhelanAnn Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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For the purposes of the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, rural areas in Ireland are considered to be those areas outside the cities of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford.

Ireland is reconfiguring the way in which local and rural development interventions are implemented. This is in line with Government policy to ensure that local government is well positioned to support the effective and efficient delivery of local and rural development.

Accordingly, funding under the new LEADER programme for the 2014-2020 period has been allocated based on administrative or county boundaries . In view of the size of the Cork County Council area, there will be three sub-regional areas for that County. This will mean a total of 28 sub-regional areas in Ireland for LEADER purposes. It will be the responsibility of the Local Action Group to determine the eligible areas within individual administrative areas for the purposes of their Local Development Strategy.

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. This stage is open to any entity that can show broad local and community participation and that has a coherent vision for the development of their area.

Local Action Groups successful in the first stage of the process will in turn 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 3rd quarter of this year.

In line with Government policy, it is intended to select a single strategy in each area. Where more than one group qualifies through stage one of the process the groups involved will be encouraged to come together in partnership to jointly prepare and agree a single strategy in order to ensure that the most comprehensive and coherent strategies come forward for consideration and approval. In the event that more than one strategy is ultimately submitted, it will be a matter for the Independent Evaluation Committee to a make a recommendation regarding the most appropriate strategy.

As the selection process for the new Programme will be an open process, I cannot say what entities will be successful, or how these might differ from the 2007-2013 LEADER arrangements.

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.

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