Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1450. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of companies and-or entities that have been selected to deliver the Leader programme in various parts of the country; the names of these entities; the names of the areas and the number of areas where there will be an open tender to select the entity to deliver this programme; when it is intended to have the selection of entities to deliver the programme completed; the date it is hoped to sign the first contracts for the delivery of the Leader programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31361/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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As the Deputy will be aware, Ireland is conducting a two stage process for the selection of Local Development Strategies to support the delivery of the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020. Stage one is complete but stage two is still on-going and therefore no entity has been selected to deliver LEADER in any area. Under stage one of the selection process, any entity who wished to be considered as a Local Action Group was invited to submit an expression of interest (EOI). For the purposes of the new programme, there are 28 sub-regional areas in Ireland and 45 separate expressions of interest were received. A single expression of interest was received in 19 of the 28 areas and at least two expressions of interest were received in the remaining nine areas. Following a number of facilitated meetings the number of areas with multiple EOI’s has reduced to six and the current position is set out in the Table below.

All applicants have been given a minimum of 6 months for the preparation of Local Development Strategies. I expect that not all areas will require the full 6 months and I am hopeful that many areas will have their strategies submitted, assessed and approved and be in a position to begin implementing their strategies by Autumn 2015.

In areas where a single strategy is submitted, an Independent Evaluation Committee will review and evaluate these strategies with a view to ensuring that they meet the required standard.

In areas where entities do not come to an agreement and multiple strategies are submitted, it will be a matter for the Independent Evaluation Committee to make a decision on which Local Development Strategy best meets the needs of the community. In this situation, the Evaluation Committee will not make a decision on the successful strategy until all strategies for that sub-regional area have been submitted for assessment.

*West Cork Development Partnership has been requested to decide which area it wishes to develop an LDS for.