555. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of European Union funding from the Leader programme for the periods 2014 to 2020 and for 2008 to 2014, to allow for a comparison of funding for both periods. [42301/15]

The European Agriculture Fund for the Rural Development Programme for Ireland is valued at €2.190 billion for the 2014–2020 programming period.  LEADER has been allocated approximately 7% of this, which is €157 million. €153 million of this will be delivered through LEADER funding from my Department while the remainder will be available through LEADER for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s Artisan Foods initiative.

The European Union allocation for the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 is €2.434 billion. LEADER was allocated approximately 10% of this which is €243 million.