Conor D. McGuinness
Question:485. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the supports provided by his Department to agricultural shows. [52371/26]
View answerThursday, 9 July 2026
Questions (485)
Written answers
My department acknowledges the important role agricultural shows play in rural Ireland. Since 2017, my department has provided a dedicated fund to support these shows with operational costs.
This fund is administered by the Irish Shows Association (ISA) and since 2017 funding of over €6.3 million has been provided. This year I allocated over €1 million to support 126 shows nationwide. The funding is used to defray some of the operational costs associated with running the shows.
The current LEADER programme, which covers the period from 2023 to 2027, has for many years provided support to community initiatives such as agricultural shows.
In order for a project to be eligible for LEADER funding, the proposed activity must be compatible with the actions outlined in the approved LEADER Local Development Strategy and it must comply with the EU Regulations and Operating Rules for the programme.
Prospective applicants that are located in an eligible LEADER area should, in the first instance, contact their Local Action Group through its Implementing Partner to discuss the eligibility of the project and the funding that may be available. Contact details are available on Gov.ie/LEADER.