Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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360. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government when he will release Leader funding to the Avondhu and Blackwater local action groups in County Cork. [12504/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The first Leader contracts will issue to local action groups (LAGs), including those in County Cork, on a phased basis over the coming weeks as the respective Leader local development strategies are finalised and discussions on contract and implementation arrangements are concluded with the respective LAGs.

The new Leader Programme will be delivered in three separate sub-regional areas in County Cork, namely the North Cork, South Cork and West Cork Leader areas. The Avondhu Blackwater Partnership is an implementing partner in the three Local Community Development Committee-led LAGs that have submitted a Leader application for each of these Leader areas. In this context, funding will be delivered by Avondhu Blackwater as a partner on an LCDC-led LAG in the North and South Cork areas under the new programme once discussions on contract and implementation arrangements are concluded. I expect these discussions to commence very shortly.

The position with regard to West Cork, where two competing Leader strategies have been submitted by West Cork LCDC and West Cork Development Partnership respectively, will be determined at the next meeting of the Independent Selection Committee in mid-June. Discussions will commence with the successful LAG shortly thereafter.