Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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502. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount approved by each local action group, LAG, to date for projects under the LEADER programme; the amount spent to date on projects by each LAG; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15432/19]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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LEADER is a multi-annual programme with a total budget of €250 million over the period 2014-2020.  €220 million of this funding has been allocated to the Local Action Groups (LAGs) throughout the country who deliver the LEADER programme. This funding is allocated to the LAGs for the full period of the programme.

The remaining €30 million is available for thematic schemes to be delivered at a national level and is allocated as projects are approved.

Table 1 provides a breakdown of the projects approved by each Local Action Group together with details of the project payments made to date.

Total expenditure on the LEADER programme since it commenced, effectively in 2016, has amounted to almost €44.2 million.  The level of project activity under the LEADER programme has increased significantly over the last year, and 1,800 projects have now been approved for funding of over €62.2 million.  A further 377 project applications, requesting in excess of €23.4 million, are at various stages in the approval process.

The figures do not include expenditure or approvals under national-level thematic schemes which operate on a competitive bid basis.

Table 1: Total LEADER Approvals and Project Payments by LAG as of 31^stMarch 2019