Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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1754. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding provided in his Department's Estimates for the Leader programme for 2017; the expenditure to date; the projected expenditure by the end of 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38679/17]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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A total of €40 million has been provided in the Estimates process this year for the delivery of LEADER programme.

LEADER is a multi-annual programme which runs to 2020.  Following the signing in July 2016 of Funding Agreements with the Local Action Groups which deliver the programme, LEADER has continued to gain momentum this year.  

Total expenditure on LEADER in 2017 to date amounts to €8.44 million.  This includes administration and animation costs and approximately €50,000 related to commitments under the 2007-2013 programme.

The amount of funding approved by the Local Action Groups for projects has increased significantly in the last two months, with €6.2 million having been approved since July compared to €0.9 million in the first six months of the year.  This funding will be drawn down as projects start to incur expenditure and submit payment claims.

Expenditure under the LEADER Programme is kept under constant review by my Department. In this regard, my officials have recently written to all Local Action Groups to ascertain their projected expenditure for the remainder of the year. My Department has also introduced a series of measures to improve administrative procedures in the delivery of LEADER.

I am confident that the significant increase in the funding approved by the Local Action Groups, along with the administrative improvements introduced by my Department, will have a positive impact on the number of projects maturing for payment over the coming months.