Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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706. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the school (details supplied) is located in the blue CLÁR mapping area in order to submit an application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41208/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department's CLÁR programme provides targeted investment funding for small scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas that suffered population loss over a defined period.

I understand that the school referred to by the deputy is in the Monaghan district electoral division of 'Castleblaney Rural' which is not in a designated CLÁR area.

It should be noted that there are other funding opportunities available through my Department. I have developed a suite of supports for communities in rural areas so that there is a range of different funding options available, be they in CLÁR areas or otherwise. This includes the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, LEADER, the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme, the Community Recognition Fund, and the Community Centres Investment Fund. These schemes have seen unprecedented levels of investment in rural communities in recent years.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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707. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development to provide, since the formation of this Government, the total funding (EU and Exchequer) allocated to the LEADER programme over the 2021-2027 period inclusive of transitional finding in 2021-2022, in tabular form; and to outline Exchequer funding allocated to the programme in 2024 and 2025. [41246/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The LEADER Programme is a key intervention of Our Rural Future, the Government’s Policy for rural development which aims to deliver a range of actions to rural communities over the lifetime of the policy. It supports a broad range of activities which aim to respond to the diversity of the local needs of our rural areas.

It is delivered through Local Action Groups (LAGs) across rural Ireland. A feature of the LEADER programme is that it is based on a community-led, bottom-up approach to rural development.

The total amount of funding allocated to the LEADER programme for the period of 2021-2027 is €250 million. This funding is made up of €70 million for the Transitional LEADER programme for the years 2021 and 2022, with the remaining €180 million allocated for the period 2023-2027 maintaining the level of funding for the programme in line with the corresponding 7 year programming period of the 2014-2020 LEADER programme. The funding is allocated to the LAGs at the outset of the programme to provide them with greater flexibility managing their budgets over the programming period. Funding is paid by my Department as costs are incurred and claims for payment submitted. I am confident that the level of funding allocated for the 2021-2027 programming period will be sufficient to meet the demand for grant funding from rural communities and businesses.

Table 1 below provides details of all LEADER expenditure under the 2014-2020 programme, the transitional programme and to date on the 2023-2027 LEADER programme. This relates to project funding, administration costs of the LAGs, including engagement with communities and their general running costs and the overhead supports to administer the programme at national level.

A provision of €44 million has been made in my Department’s Vote for 2024 for the delivery of the LEADER programme. In Budget 2025, €42 million has been allocated to the delivery of the programme.

I am satisfied that this level of funding will adequately cover all aspects of implementing the programme next year as the 2014-2022 programmes close and projects approved under the 2023-2027 programme complete and drawdown funding.

Table 1 – LEADER expenditure 2021 – October 2024