Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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1105. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount allocated to each local action group, LAG, under the LEADER programme 2014-2020 in tabular form; the amount expended annually under the programme in each LAG; the total spend as a percentage to date out of the amount allocated to each LAG for the programme period; the amount expended to date in each LAG on project costs, administrative costs and any other costs by each LAG; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3862/20]

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.  €225 million of this funding has been allocated as core funding 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 €25 million is available for thematic schemes to be delivered at a national level and is allocated as projects are approved.  

Table 1provides details of all payments made to the LAGs on an annual basis. 

Table 2provides details of:

- The budget allocations to the LAGs under the LEADER 2014-2020 programme, and  

- The total spend by the LAGs broken down by:

- the cost of developing their Local Development Strategies at the outset of the programme (preparatory support);

- expenditure incurred on administration and on supporting the development of LEADER projects (administration & animation);  

- funding provided to LEADER projects; and  

- total spend expressed as a percentage of each LAG's budget allocation.  

While the overall spend to date is 38% of the total allocation available to the LAGs, there continues to be a consistent increase in project payments over previous years. Over 1,000 project promoters, or 40%, have now received a Final Payment in respect of their project.

Project approvals have also steadily increased, with 2,771 projects approved to date to a value of over €107 million.  A further 317 projects, requesting funding of almost €26 million, are at earlier stages in the approvals process.  Project payments under the programme will continue to increase as approved works are completed and claims for payment submitted.

The figures provided do not include payments made under thematic schemes which are funded outside of the core budget allocated to each LAG. 

Table 1: LEADER payments to LAGs for the period 2015-2020

Table 2: LEADER expenditure data as of 1st March 2020