Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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255. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of applications for Leader funding since the new programme commenced; the amount of funding sought; the number of applications each year under the previous LEADER programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41015/17]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Leader is a multi-annual programme which has a budget of €250 million over the period to 2014-2020.  The programme is delivered in 28 sub-regional areas by Local Action Groups (LAGs).  Funding Agreements with the LAGs for the current programme were, for the most part, signed with the LAGs in the second half of 2016 and the programme effectively became operational from that date.

Over 5,000 expressions of interest have been received by the LAGs from potential project promoters.  The LAGs are currently working with project promoters to develop and finalise project applications.

To date, 335 projects with a value of over €8.25 million have been approved for LEADER funding by the LAGs.  The number and value of projects at final approval stage in each Local Action Group is provided on Table 1.  I understand that a further 316 projects, requesting funding of over €10 million, is progressing through the approvals process.

The 2007-2013 LEADER Programme had a budget of approximately €400 million over its lifetime. The number of approved applications each year under the previous LEADER programme is provided on Table 2.

Table 1 – Projects at Final Approved stage in each LAG, 2017

Table 2 – Number of Projects approved