Written answers
Wednesday, 14 February 2018
Department of Rural and Community Development
Rural Development Programme Funding
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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282. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the financial allocations on an annual basis under the 2014 to 2020 rural development programme per measure 19, support for Leader local development; the annual amount expended on the programme in each year of the RDP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7701/18]
Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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LEADER, which is referred to at EU level as Measure 19 of the Rural Development Programme, forms part of Ireland's Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 and has 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 2 details the overall expenditure incurred each year to date under the 2014-2020 LEADER Programme.
Expenditure under the programme commenced in 2015 and, for that year, relates to 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 from the point of view of project commencement.
Expenditure for 2017 and to date in 2018 includes preparatory support, administration and animation costs, and project expenditure. Project approvals under LEADER have increased significantly since July and I understand that a total of 725 projects have now been approved by the LAGs, with a combined value of €20.5 million. The level of project expenditure under the programme is therefore expected to increase significantly as payment claims are submitted to my Department through the LAGs in respect of these projects.
Table 1
| County | Programme Allocation (€) |
|---|---|
| Carlow | 6,416,803.43 |
| Cavan | 8,522,285.84 |
| Clare | 8,920,224.65 |
| Cork | 13,938,823.22 |
| Donegal | 12,913,877.86 |
| Dublin | 6,370,438.43 |
| Galway | 12,195,883.61 |
| Kerry | 10,219,868.29 |
| Kildare | 5,261,600.01 |
| Kilkenny | 7,791,572.91 |
| Laois | 7,124,586.86 |
| Leitrim | 5,998,474.74 |
| Limerick | 9,276,593.96 |
| Longford | 7,597,623.07 |
| Louth | 6,101,862.01 |
| Mayo | 11,121,431.88 |
| Meath | 6,903,123.57 |
| Monaghan | 7,592,719.51 |
| Offaly | 8,036,763.90 |
| Roscommon | 8,852,659.22 |
| Sligo | 7,655,647.81 |
| Tipperary | 10,103,443.28 |
| Waterford | 7,522,796.18 |
| Westmeath | 7,384,206.22 |
| Wexford | 9,840,140.56 |
| Wicklow | 6,336,549.00 |
| TOTAL | €220,000,000 |
Table 2: LEADER 2014-2020 Expenditure broken down per year
| Year | Total |
|---|---|
| 2015 | €1,251,185.25 |
| 2016 | €1,260,920.54 |
| 2017 | €12,123,851.06 |
| 2018 (to date) | €1,239,720.64 |
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