Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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894. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the position regarding the operation of the rural LEADER programme; the amount of rural LEADER funding drawn down to date for each of the 28 local action groups sub-regional areas; the amount of LEADER funding spent in each local action group, LAG, area; the number and types of projects completed to date in each LAG area; his plans to ensure that the deadlines for making applications under rural LEADER can be extended by each LAG in view of the Covid-19 emergency; his further plans to ensure that LAGs are supported to work with their local communities during the Covid-19 crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7054/20]

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 29 Local Action Groups (LAGs) that deliver the LEADER programme. This funding is allocated to the LAGs for the full period of the programme rather than on an annual basis, to allow full flexibility to the LAGs.

The remaining €25 million is available for thematic schemes to be delivered at a national level and is allocated as projects are approved.

Table 1 below provides details of the total spend to date by the LAGs since the commencement of the 2014-2020 LEADER programme and includes:

- 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

Table 2 provides details of:

- the number of completed projects in each LAG area by project theme, where a final payment has issued.

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

Funding under LEADER is drawn down as projects incur expenditure and the project promoter submits claims for payment to the LAGs. The approved works, or phases of works, must be completed by the project promoter prior to any final or phased payments being made.

Under the current LEADER programme, LAGs can continue to approve projects up to the end of December 2020. Payments can continue to be made drawn down after that date in respect of projects approved before the end of 2020.

The LEADER programme has remained operational throughout the COVID-19 crisis and payments have continued to be made to the Local Action Groups (LAGs), their Implementing Partners and to project promoters.

Nonetheless, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, my Department has recognised the challenges faced by the LAGs in delivering the LEADER programme and, in that regard, has introduced a number of administrative flexibilities to support their ongoing operations. This, in turn, will assist project promoters. My Department's officials will keep this matter under review and will consider introducing further administrative flexibilities where deemed necessary.

Table 1: LEADER expenditure data as of 25^thMay 2020

Table 2: No. of LEADER projects completed by LAG and Theme as of 25^thMay 2020