Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1157. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount approved for projects under the Leader programme 2014-2020 to date; the amount paid out for projects to date, by local action group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46364/17]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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LEADER is a multi-annual EU co-funded programme to support rural development.  Ireland has an allocation of €250 million under the programme over the period 2014-2020, including both national and EU funding.  The programme is administered by Local Action Groups (LAGs) who deliver funding in accordance with Local Development Strategies that have been agreed for each LAG area.

Funding Agreements for the current LEADER 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.  There was no project expenditure on the new LEADER programme prior to 2017, although funding was provided to the LAGs to develop their Local Development Strategies and to prepare for the implementation phase of the programme.

In excess of 5,000 expressions of interest have been received to date by the LAGs from potential project promoters under the 2014-2020 LEADER programme and the LAGs are currently working with project promoters to develop and finalise project applications.

As of 31st October 2017, 420 projects with a value of over €10.5 million have been approved for LEADER funding by the LAGs.  A further 386 projects requesting over €13.8 million in funding are at various stages in the approval process. This funding will be drawn down as projects start to incur expenditure and submit payment claims.

As of the 31st October, project expenditure amounting to €157,444.47 has been drawn down. Details of the expenditure by the relevant Local Action Groups are provided at Appendix 1.

I am confident that progress now being made by the LAGs, along with the administrative changes which have been introduced following the LEADER Forum hosted earlier in the year, will result in a significant increase in project approvals and payments under the LEADER programme over the coming months.