Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 April 2026
920. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the total investment in Offaly projects since the introduction of the LEADER programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28080/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraLEADER is a community-led approach to local development that has been operating in Ireland since its commencement as a pilot initiative between 1991 and 1993.
The programme has evolved through successive programming periods, and in 2007 it was mainstreamed into the Common Agricultural Policy, becoming a key intervention within Ireland’s Rural Development Programme.
The LEADER programme allocation for Offaly in each programming period since 1994 is outlined in the below table.
This total allocation is broken down over a number of programming periods, with the most recent allocation in Offaly totalling €6.2 million in respect of the current 2023-27 LEADER programme.
Generally, the funding is allocated to the LEADER Local Action Groups at the outset of the programme to provide them with greater flexibility to manage their budgets over the programming period. As some initiatives, such as the LEADER food initiative and co-operation measures, had standalone processes and were not allocated in advance, these are not captured in the table below.
It is clear that LEADER has a commendable track record in delivering locally driven projects that have delivered real benefits in Offaly and all across the country.
I will continue to advocate for a strong and well funded LEADER programme, and I am confident that the bottom up approach of LEADER can continue to support valuable projects in Offaly for years to come.
Table 1: LEADER Programme allocation for Offaly since 1994
|
Programming Period |
Allocation |
|
1994-1999 (LEADER II) |
£2,804,000 |
|
2000-2006 (LEADER +) |
€4,318,000 |
|
2007-2013 (Revised) |
€10,856,445 |
|
2014-2020 |
€8,036,764 |
|
2021-2022 Transitional |
€2,374,498 |
|
2023-2027 |
€6,252,673 |
