Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 23 October 2024
223. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the projects in east Galway that have been approved for funding under LEADER; the amount funding, for the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and the year to date, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43445/24]
View answerThe 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 that aim to respond to the diversity of the local needs of our rural areas.
From 2020 to 31st December 2023, 151 projects with a value of over €4.5 million were approved for funding by Galway Rural Development, the Local Action Group (LAG) under the 2014-2022 LEADER programme in east Galway. This programme closed for approvals at the end of 2023.
The 2023-2027 LEADER programme has now commenced in east county Galway. The LAG is in the early stages of implementation, which involves engaging with the communities and working with them to develop their project proposals. As such, there have been no projects approved to date in 2024 under the new programme but I look forward to seeing progress in this area over the coming months.
Details of all projects approved under the 2014-2022 LEADER programme by the LAG operating in east Galway and the funding allocated to them is available on my Department’s website at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/b849be-local-action-groups-approved-projects-2014-2020/
