Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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936. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the allocation for the implementation of the Leader programme in 2017; the amount spent on administration, animation and projects respectively to date in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27279/17]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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937. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the value of the projects approved to date in 2017 under the 2014 to 2020 Leader programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27280/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 936 and 937 together.

Ireland’s LEADER programme 2014-2020 has a total budget of €250 million over the lifetime of the programme. In line with Article 35 of EU Regulation 1303/2015, up to 25% of total expenditure incurred by LEADER Local Action Groups may be claimed in respect of administration and animation costs over the duration of the programme.

Expenditure to date in 2017 for the administration and animation costs incurred by the Local Action Groups (LAGs) who deliver the programme amounts to €3.584 million.

No project expenditure has yet been incurred under the LEADER 2014-2020 programme in 2017. However, the LAGs are currently concluding calls for proposals in each of their sub-regional areas, and I understand that more than 4,800 expressions of interest from potential applicants, with an estimated value of over €200 million, have been recorded on the LEADER ICT system. The LAGs are currently working through these expressions of interest with a view to assisting project promoters in developing and finalising project applications.

To date 55 projects have been fully approved for LEADER funding by the LAGs. The total value for these projects is €846,660. A further 44 projects, with a value of over €948,000, are at the final stages of the approval process.

On 17th May last, I hosted a forum with participants from all of the Local Action Groups and the Local Development Companies delivering LEADER, to explore the issues of concern to them and to identify potential solutions aimed at streamlining the current administrative and application procedures under the programme. On the basis of the suggestions made at the forum, my Department has identified more than 30 practical actions which can be taken to improve the administrative process under LEADER and which will make funding under the programme more accessible for potential project applicants. I have written to all of the Local Action Groups and Local Development Companies outlining the changes that we intend to start introducing, with immediate effect in some instances.

I am confident that progress now being made by the LAGs, along the administrative changes being introduced, will result in a significant increase in project approvals and payments under LEADER over the coming months.