Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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400. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her attention has been drawn to the fact that some local development companies will run out of Leader funding under the transitional programme by January 2022; if additional funding will be made available for Leader; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47296/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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In line with a commitment in the government’s new rural development policy, Our Rural Future, I announced details of a €70 million Transitional LEADER programme which came into effect last April and will cover the period 2021 – 2022, with a successor programme to commence in 2023.

This funding will support locally-led projects which focus on many of the key themes of Our Rural Future such as building capacity and empowering local communities, embracing opportunities in the green economy, supporting remote working and the digital transformation, developing our outdoor amenities and creating jobs in rural areas

As outlined in Our Rural Future, The LEADER programme will play a key role over the lifetime of the policy in enhancing the participation of local communities in shaping their future and building leadership and resilience.

€65 million of this budget is available to Local Action Groups (LAGs) who deliver the programme and approve projects at local level.  This allocation covers both core project expenditure as well as the administration and animation costs of the LAGs. The division of the administration and animation funding between the LAGs and its Local Development Companies is a matter for each individual LAG.

A further €3 million of the funding is being allocated to support cooperation projects and innovation between LAGs, while the remaining €2 million is being provided to provide preparatory support for the next LEADER programme. Further funding opportunities under the LEADER Food Initiative remain in place until the entirety of funds are exhausted.

In the event that a LAG fully utilises their allocation of administration funding, they can avail of a maximum monthly contribution that will be Exchequer funded and will be available to them to the end of 2022.

All LEADER project funding must be allocated by the LAGs before the end of December 2022, with final claims for payment submitted to my Department by June 2024.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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401. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the national rural outdoor recreation scheme will be a multi-annual scheme. [47281/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) provides funding for the development of new outdoor recreational infrastructure and for the maintenance and promotion of existing outdoor recreational infrastructure in rural Ireland. New funding is provided each year and I launched the 2021 Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme on 23rd April 2021. The closing date for the submission of applications under the 2021 scheme has now passed and my officials are currently assessing them. I hope to be in a position to make announcements in relation to successful projects in Quarter 4 of this year.

Projects approved under ORIS are given approximately 12 months to 20 months to complete, depending on the size of the project. My Department has also shown considerable flexibility in respect of contract timelines where additional time is required to complete the project and there is a valid reason for the extension request. I will continue to keep the timeframe for project delivery under review.