Catherine Callaghan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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1468. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to provide a breakdown of LEADER funding allocations, commitments and payments for counties Carlow and Kilkenny, respectively, covering the 2014 to 2020 transitional programme and the 2023 to 2027 programme from 2020 to 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form (details supplied). [48777/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The current LEADER Programme, which runs to 2027, is operational 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 a multi-annual programme, with allocations and expenditure linked to a programming period. 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 cost are incurred and claims for payment are submitted.

The attached tables provide the requested information in relation to projects approved for funding by the LAGs in Carlow and Kilkenny in each of the most recent programming periods. While the 2014-2022 LEADER programme is closed, project approvals and expenditure under the 2023-2027 programme will continue to increase over the programming period. In addition to these details, each LAG is also allocated funding for the administration and animation of the programme. This funding is linked to the level of project funding. Over the 2014 to 2022 programming period the level of administration/animation funding in the case of the Kilkenny LAG was €3.513m, while €445,194 has been paid in the 2023-2027 period to date. In respect of the Carlow LAG, the respective figures are €2.014m and €231,890 respectively.