Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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247. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if further administration, project and animation funding will be provided to the LAGs administering Leader for the years from 2021 until a new Leader programme is in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24539/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The LEADER Programme is co-funded by the European Commission under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The current programming period concludes in December 2020.

Proposals for new regulations for the CAP 2021-2027 were launched in June 2018 by the European Commission.  However, given the nature of the discussions on the CAP and the wider EU Budget post-2020, there has been a delay in adopting these proposals.  This means that the next LEADER programme will not now commence until January 2022 at the earliest.

As a result of the delays in agreeing new CAP regulations, the European Commission has published proposals for transitional measures to allow for continuity between the programming periods of 2014-2020 and 2021-2027.

The transitional regulation is still under negotiation and there are a number of issues yet to be resolved over the coming months, including the duration of the transitional period.

The Programme for Government includes a provision to bridge the gap between the current LEADER programme and the next programme.  Decisions relating to funding for projects, administration and animation costs until the new LEADER programme is operational will be taken in the coming months having regard, inter alia, to any transitional arrangements that may be agreed at European level.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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248. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if it is planned to provide animation funding to the LAGs under new Leader round to encourage more community involvement in the Leader programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24540/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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LEADER is an EU-funded programme which adopts a Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) approach to the delivery of rural development interventions, underpinned by a Local Development Strategy for the particular LEADER area.

In June 2018, the European Commission published a proposal for a draft Common Provisions Regulation (CPR) for the next programming period, 2021-2027.  The draft regulation is similar to the current CPR, with a strong emphasis on community involvement in the development of Local Development Strategies, and capacity building with local communities to identify suitable projects which are in line with the objectives of that Strategy.

As the Deputy will be aware, the current LEADER programme runs to the end of this year.  Given the delay at EU level in agreeing the EU Budget for the post-2020 period, the next LEADER programme will not now commence until January 2022 at the earliest.

The Programme for Government includes a provision to bridge the gap between the current LEADER programme and the next programme.  Decisions relating to funding for project, administration and animation costs until the new LEADER programme is operational will be taken in the coming months having regard, inter alia, to any transitional arrangements that may be agreed at European level.