Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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113. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the average annual allocation to LEADER, by programme; since 2007. [54971/25]

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 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.

Table 1 below gives a breakdown on the LEADER allocations for the periods requested by the Deputy.

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 2023-2027 LEADER programme , maintaining the level of funding at €250 million for the 7 year period, in line with the previous 2014-2020 LEADER programme.

Prior to this, the programming period covered 2007-2013. The original allocation of €399,999,998 for that period was revised to €376,758,090, on foot of the agreement with the EU Commission of a formal amendment to the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme.

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to engage at EU level to increase funding for the next LEADER programme, which will form part of the post 2027 Multiannual Financial Framework.

The funding for the LEADER programme should be considered in the context of the expanding capital allocations which have been made available across the range of rural development schemes and supports under my Department's Rural Development Investment Programme in recent years.

Table 1: LEADER Programme Allocations