Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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685. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the capital expenditure of his Department for the six months to 30 June 2018 by subhead; the provision for each subhead in the estimates for 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31941/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Revised Estimates in respect of the Department of Rural and Community Development sets out gross capital expenditure of €87.5m in respect of my Department for 2018. This capital allocation is supplemented by some €7.7m in respect of capital carried forward from 2017.

I have set out in the following table details of capital expenditure to date for the six months to June 30 in respect of my Department.

A significant portion of capital underspend against profile relates to the Town and Village Scheme (Subhead A8), which funds capital projects administered by the Local Authorities.  I am conscious of the particular demands which were placed on Local Authorities in the early months of this year in responding to severe weather emergencies and these may have been a contributory factor to the underspend. However, my Department is in regular contact with Local Authorities and other stakeholders with a view to accelerating activity on all capital schemes, including the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and I expect to see an increase in capital spending as the year progresses.

For example, while the LEADER programme also shows an underspend against profile to the end of June, the delivery of this programme on the ground is continuing to grow rapidly.  At present 1,150 projects with a value of over €34 million had been approved for funding by the LEADER Local Action Groups.  Almost 300 further projects are going through the approvals process.  Payments will be made to all of these projects as they become operational and submit payment claims.

It should be noted that all figures provided are provisional, pending audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General.