Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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267. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the level of funding being allocated to an organisation (details supplied) for the next round of Leader funding; how this compares with the last round of Leader funding allocated to the organisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23550/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The LEADER programme is a key intervention implemented by my Department, which will help to underpin the Government's rural development goals as outlined in Our Rural Future.  It forms part of Ireland's €10bn Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan.

Funding for the programme is allocated to the Local Action Groups(LAG) that deliver the programme at sub-regional area level rather than to individual organisations. The sub-regional areas are for the most part aligned to the county boundaries.

€250 million was allocated to the LEADER programme for the 2014-2020 period. €250m has also been made available for LEADER for the period 2021 to 2027. This is comprised of €70 million for the transitional period 2021 to 2022 and an additional €180 million from 2023 to 2027. The allocation to the sub-regional area of county Tipperary for the 2014-2020 LEADER programme was €10.1 million. The LAG for county Tipperary for that programme was Tipperary LCDC with Tipperary County Council as the Financial Partner and South Tipperary Development Company and North Tipperary Development Company as Implementing Partners. The sub-regional area of Tipperary has been allocated €7.8 million for the 2023-2027 programming period. When combined with the €3 million allocated under the Transitional Programme for 2021 and 2022 the total funding for the 2021-2027 period is €10.8 million. This is an increase of 7% on the previous programming period

The process to select Local  Action Groups to deliver the 2023-2027 LEADER programme is under way at present. Applicants groups are due to submit completed their Local Development Strategy (LDS) for consideration by 14th  July 2023.

Following the conclusion of the selection process, it will be a matter for the Local Action Group in each area to agree the distribution of the funding to its implementing partners.

The 2023-2027 LEADER programme will be operational in Quarter 3 of this year and I look forward to its implementation and to ensuring that LEADER can continue to deliver real benefits to rural communities across Ireland.