Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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544. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the capital expenditure to date of LEADER projects in County Donegal as per the LEADER programme 2014 to 2020; the projects allocated funding that have not drawn down the approved funding in the county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4274/19]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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545. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the level of funding committed to date under the 2014 to 2020 LEADER programme in County Donegal ; the successful drawdown of funding to date by project in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4275/19]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 544 and 545 together.

LEADER is a multi-annual programme for the period 2014-2020 and has a total budget of €250 million over that period. The programme is administered by Local Action Groups (LAGs) which deliver funding in accordance with Local Development Strategies that have been agreed for each LAG area. The Local Action Group in Donegal has an allocation of approximately €12.9 million for the period of the programme.

To date 104 projects with a grant value of over €4.3 million have been approved for LEADER funding in Donegal. Funding under LEADER is drawn down as projects incur expenditure and submit payment claims to my Department. To date, claims in excess of €750,000 have been drawn down in respect of projects in County Donegal.

Table 1 provides details of the projects approved to date in County Donegal and details of payments made, where applicable.

The level of project activity under the LEADER programme has increased significantly in 2018 and I am confident that the progress now being made by the LAGs in approving projects, along with the administrative improvements introduced by my Department over the last year, will result in a continued increase in project approvals and payments under the LEADER programme during 2019.

Table 1: LEADER projects approved in Donegal and the corresponding grant amounts paid as at 20 January 2019