Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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910. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development her plans for the Leader programme for 2021 and beyond; if she will implement findings for a transition programme; when she will notify Leader companies of her plans; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25441/20]

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 any such transitional programme at national level will be taken in the coming months having regard, inter alia, to any arrangements that may be agreed at European level, and will be notified to the Local Action Groups which administer LEADER at local level.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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911. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount each local authority has billed either her Department or a local Leader company for staff members, administration, LAG overhead or other cost in each year since 2014; and the amount paid out by her Department, each LAG or Leader delivery sub-group in audit fees since 2014, in tabular form. [25442/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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It is not possible, in the time available, to compile the detailed information requested by the Deputy.

My officials are collating the information requested and a further reply will be issued to the Deputy in the coming days.