576. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will extend the deadlines to the 2015 budget for the rural enterprise development zones, issued to local authorities for 2016, so as to allow them to spend the allocations effectively. [42772/15]

51 Projects have been awarded funding under the Rural Enterprise Development Zones (REDZ) Pilot initiative to a value of almost €3.8 million.

To date 50 of the 51 project contracts offered for the 2015 REDZ Pilot initiative have been agreed and signed off by the local authorities involved and are due to be completed by year end. In the case of the one remaining outstanding contract, my Department has been advised that it will be returned in the next few days.

I am not considering an extension of time at the moment but will keep the matter under review.