4281. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the allocation to the LEADER programme in counties Cavan and Monaghan in each of the years from 2019 to 2025 and to date in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58027/26]

The LEADER Programme supports a broad range of enterprises and community groups to develop projects which improve the quality of life and economic activity in rural areas. It is delivered through Local Action Groups across rural Ireland, facilitating a community-led, bottom-up approach to rural development.

The LEADER programme is co-financed by the European Commission under the Common Agricultural Policy, through the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development.

LEADER is a multi-annual programme, with allocations made at the start of the programming period to enable Local Action Groups to effectively identify and fund meaningful projects over the multi-year period. Therefore, the details provided in the below table shows the LEADER allocations for Cavan and Monaghan for each programming period, rather than on an annual basis.

The funding for the LEADER programme to all counties, including Cavan and Monaghan, should be considered in the context of the expanding capital allocations which have been made available across the range of rural development schemes and supports under my department's Rural Development Investment Programme in recent years.

Details regarding individual projects approved by the Local Action Groups is available on my department's website at: /www.gov.ie/en/department-of-rural-and-community-development-and-the-gaeltacht/publications/leader-local-action-groups-approved-projects/

Table 1 – Cavan and Monaghan Allocations under the LEADER Programme from 2014