Alan Kelly
Question:279. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount of LEADER funding that has been allocated to rural tourism in 2024. [21459/25]
View answerRural Schemes
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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 across rural Ireland. A feature of the LEADER programme is that it is based on a community-led, bottom-up approach to rural development.
Funding under the current LEADER programme is focused on a thematic approach to rural development, with Local Action Groups selecting and awarding LEADER funding to projects in accordance with their local development strategies, and under the themes and sub-themes of the programme.
The LEADER themes are a) Economic Development and Job Creation, b) Rural Infrastructure and Social Inclusion, and c) Sustainable Development of the Rural Environment, and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation. Within the Economic Development theme, there is a specific sub theme related to Rural Tourism and Recreation. Funding for rural tourism activities would generally align with this sub-theme. To date under the current programme, 77 projects valued at approx. €4.2 million have been allocated LEADER funding by the Local Action Groups under this sub-theme. This level of projects is reflective of the time spent by Local Action Groups with applicants to generate high quality project proposals at this early stage of the programming period. I look forward to seeing the level of approvals grow in the coming months as applications are progressed.