Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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338. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development for a county-by-county breakdown of the level of funding provided for the present LEADER programme; the funding provided for the previous LEADER programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25048/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The current LEADER Programme runs to 2027 and is now up and running across the country. It supports a broad range of enterprises and community groups to develop projects which improve the quality of life and economic activity in rural areas. It is delivered through Local Action Groups (LAGs) across rural Ireland, facilitating a community-led, bottom-up approach to rural development.

The LEADER programme is co-financed by the European Commission under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), through the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development. The budget for the CAP for the period 2021-2027 forms part of the Multiannual Financial Framework, or the EU Budget for that period. It is therefore a multi-annual programme, with allocations being linked to a programming period, rather than an annual basis.

The total amount of funding allocated to LEADER 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, and €180 million for the LEADER programme 2023-2027, maintaining the level of funding at €250 million for the 7 year period, in line with the previous 2014-2020 LEADER programme.

Generally, the funding is allocated to the LAGs at the outset of the programme to provide them with greater flexibility to manage their budgets over the programming period. Funding is then paid out by my Department as costs are incurred and claims for payment are submitted.

The table below provides the allocation of funding by county, on a programme basis. As some initiatives, such as the LEADER food initiatives and co-operation measures, had standalone processes and were not allocated in advance, these are not captured in the table below.

Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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339. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding streams and grants that may be available for a project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25051/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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While the provision of education facilities does not come under my remit, my Department does provide funding for community facilities that are used by the wider public.

The Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF) supports the refurbishment of buildings for community use in both urban and rural settings, and applies in city locations such as the one referenced by the Deputy. This would be the case where the building is currently being used by the wider community to a good extent and is not only for single purpose use.

The fund was established in 2022 and, since then, almost €80 million has been provided to support refurbishment and enhancement of existing community buildings. I am committed to delivering further iterations of the fund in the coming years in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government for this to become a permanent rolling fund.

Details of this and all of my Department's schemes are available on gov.ie.