Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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9. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his views on the letter from the European Commission which queried the new framework under which Leader projects are being implemented. [18580/15]

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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My Department received a communication from the European Commission on 28 April 2015 via the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, who are the Managing Authority for the Rural Development Programme.

In the context of the LEADER element of the Rural Development Programme 2014–2020, the European Commission sought to clarify a number of issues in relation to the selection process for LEADER Local Development Strategies in Ireland. This included clarification as to whether the selection process underway in Ireland was open to any interested entity submitting an expression of interest to be a Local Action Group under the new programme. A response has now issued to the Commission clarifying matters which were raised in their correspondence.

I can assure the Deputy that the selection process which is underway for LEADER Local Development Strategies in Ireland is an open process and all interested entities were invited to submit an expression of interest to be a Local Action Group if they so wished. I should say for the purposes of the new LEADER programme, there are 28 sub-regional areas in Ireland and on the closing date for submission of expressions of interest, 45 separate expressions of interest were received. A single expression of interest has been received in 19 of the 28 areas and at least 2 expressions of interest have been received in the remaining 9 areas.

I expect that all the expressions of interest will be presented to an Independent Evaluation Committee for assessment and decision by late June. On foot of this, preparatory support will be made available to all eligible Local Action Groups selected by the Committee. The Groups will then be provided with a minimum of 6 months to develop their strategies. The Independent Evaluation Committee will also assess and make the final decisions in relation to the quality of each local development strategy submitted in due course and where multiple strategies are submitted, it will be a matter for the Evaluation Committee to a make a decision on which local development strategy best meets the needs of the community.