Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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473. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the actual spend to date on the Leader programme under the rural development programme 2014 to 2020, by animation, administration and project spend; the budget allocation in each of the years 2014 to 2018, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50940/17]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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LEADER is a multi-annual programme covering the period 2014-2020, with a total budget of €250 million over the period in question.  €220 million of this funding has been allocated to the Local Action Groups (LAGs) throughout the country who deliver the LEADER programme.  The remaining €30 million is available for schemes which will be delivered at a national level.

The €220 million funding which has been allocated to the LAGs is provided for the duration of the Programme, rather than on an annual basis.  This provides greater flexibility to the LAGs in managing their resources.

Table 1 details the funding allocations provided to LAGs by county under the 2014-2020 LEADER programme.  The LEADER areas are, in the main, aligned with the county boundaries.  However, Co. Cork includes three LEADER sub-regional areas.

Table 2details the overall expenditure incurred each year to date under the 2014-2020 LEADER Programme, broken down between Preparatory Support, Administration (which includes Animation), and Project expenditure.

Expenditure under the programme commenced in 2015 and relates to preparatory support payments for the preparation of Local Development Strategies.  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.  Project expenditure therefore only commenced in 2017.

While project expenditure currently stands at €258,000 for this year, project approvals have increased significantly since July and I understand that a total of 473 projects have been approved by the LAGs, with a combined value of €12.2 million.  Payments will be made in respect of these projects as claims are submitted to my Department through the LAGs.

Table 1: LEADER 2014-2020 Allocations per County

Table 2: LEADER 2014-2020 Expenditure broken down per year