Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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347. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will re-examine the electoral divisions in the Clondalkin electoral area which are included in the Leader programme, in preparation for the new programme commencing in January 2023, in order to ensure that the full catchment of the rural areas of Baldonnel and Newcastle are included in the programme, with particular consideration for the FY electoral division which includes a farm (details supplied) which will soon be home to a vibrant local sports club; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58516/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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LEADER is a key programme within Our Rural Future, and has delivered real benefits to rural communities across rural Ireland over the past 30 years.

The programme is delivered in 28 sub-regional areas across the country which are for the most part aligned to the county boundaries. The exceptions to this are in County Cork which contains three sub-regional areas and in County Dublin.

While the three administrative areas of County Dublin are largely comprised of urban areas there are rural communities in each area. These rural areas are combined to form one sub-regional area of Dublin Rural. There are no plans at present to amend the areas covered within the Dublin sub-regional area in the upcoming LEADER programme.

The Expressions of Interest process for groups to deliver the 2023-2027 LEADER programme is now open, and I would encourage interested parties to engage in this process in partnership to ensure that LEADER can continue to deliver for rural communities in the new programming period.