1757. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the level of funding provided for the present Leader programme; the funding provided for the previous programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1946/25]

1758. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the level of funding provided for the present Cavan Leader programme; the funding provided for the previous programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1947/25]

1759. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the level of funding provided for the present Monaghan Leader programme; the funding provided for the previous programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1948/25]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1757, 1758 and 1759 together.

The LEADER Programme is a key intervention of Our Rural Future, the Government’s Policy for rural development which aims to deliver a range of actions to rural communities over the lifetime of the policy. It supports a broad range of activities which aim to respond to the diversity of the local needs of our rural areas.

It is delivered through Local Action Groups (LAGs) across rural Ireland. A feature of the LEADER programme is that it is based on a community-led, bottom-up approach to rural development.

The LEADER programme is co-financed by the European Commission under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), through the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). The budget for the CAP for the period 2021-2027 forms part of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), or the EU Budget for that period.

The total amount of funding allocated to the LEADER programme for the period of 2021-2027 is €250 million.

This funding is made up of €70 million for the Transitional LEADER programme for the years 2021 and 2022, with the remaining €180 million allocated for the period 2023-2027, maintaining the level of funding for the programme in line with the €250 million allocated for the corresponding 7 year period of the 2014-2020 LEADER programme.

The funding is allocated to the LAGs at the outset of the programme to provide them with greater flexibility managing their budgets over the programming period. Funding is then paid out by my Department as costs are incurred and claims for payment are submitted.

I am confident that the level of funding allocated for the 2021-2027 programming period will be sufficient to meet the demand for grant funding from rural communities and businesses.

Details of the allocation of funding provided for Cavan and Monaghan, under the 2014-2020 LEADER Programme, the Transitional Programme covering 2021-2022, and the 2023-2027 LEADER Programme are provided in the below table.