Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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82. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for a breakdown of the total funding awarded and the number of jobs supported through the LEADER programme in the west Cork LEADER footprint area under the current CAP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38529/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The LEADER programme has been at the heart of rural development in Ireland for over 30 years. It plays an important role in supporting local projects that bring renewed life, jobs and services to our rural communities, including those in West Cork.

As the Deputy will be aware, €180 million has been committed to the current 2023-2027 LEADER programme. When taken together with the €70 million provided by the Government for LEADER in 2021 and 2022, this maintained the level of funding at €250 million, consistent with the corresponding 7 year programme period of 2014-2020.

Funding is allocated to Local Action Groups at the beginning of each LEADER programme to provide them with greater flexibility in selecting and approving projects that will have a meaningful impact in their areas. Since 2021, West Cork received a LEADER allocation of €1.48 million for the 2021 and 2022 transition period leading into the current programming period, and €5.8m for the current programming period of 2023-2027.

Local Action Groups are now up and running all across the country, and are actively working to identify relevant projects, including those under the theme of ‘Economic Development and Job Creation’. At this stage of the new LEADER programming period, it is too early for the Local Action Groups to be reporting on the number of jobs created and supported.

However, I can inform the Deputy that during the period 2014-2022 in West Cork, over 90 jobs were created and more than 90 positions sustained through the LEADER programme. During the same period the Local Action Group approved 113 projects, of which 65 projects worth approximately €2.7 million supported the ‘Rural Economic Development, Enterprise Development and Job Creation’ LEADER theme.

I look forward to seeing the outcomes of the current LEADER programme as they emerge over the coming months and years, and I am sure that it will continue to deliver real benefits to rural communities right across Ireland.