Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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673. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if his Department has sought permission from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to carry over unspent capital to 2018; if so, the amount sought as a carryover; the reason this was necessary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53704/17]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The proposed capital carryover will be finalised as part of the Revised Estimates Volume 2018. Government financial procedures provide for the carry-over of up to 10% of unspent capital funding from any year to the subsequent year. My Department has requested the carry-over of €7.7 million in unspent Capital allocations from 2017 to 2018.

Capital underspends have arisen on some of my Department’s rural development schemes, given that these schemes are relatively new, as in the case of the Town and Village Renewal scheme. In the case of the LEADER programme, and in line with LEADER programmes in other EU Member States, there has been a lead-in period in the ramping up and implementation of the 2014-2020 programme as the LEADER Local Action Groups (LAGs) developed their Local Development Strategies, formalised their internal processes and procedures, and worked with potential project promoters to develop applications. However, the level of LEADER activity in Ireland has increased substantially in recent months. Over 550 LEADER projects, with a value of €14.6 million, have now been approved by the LAGs and I expect the level of approvals and expenditure to grow rapidly in 2018.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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674. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the capital allocated to his Department for 2017; the amount spent to date by subhead; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53705/17]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The total amount of capital funding allocated to my Department upon its creation was approximately €77 million. The allocations provided in the table below reflect the recently published Further Revised Estimates Volume 2017. To date payments totalling €48.7 million have been made, as shown in the table below. It has been impressed upon Local Authorities the need to accelerate spending on their 2017 projects as a matter of urgency. Payment processing is on-going, with further payments expected.