€6.3 million LEADER allocation for Leitrim over next five years

Leitrim organisations and projects are set to benefit from €6.3m in funding being made available under the LEADER programme over the next five years.

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has confirmed the details of the €180m LEADER Programme for 2023-2027.

As well as the allocation for Leitrim, Sligo has been allocated €6.1m and Roscommon has been allocated €6.8m.

Local TD and Minister of State, Frank Feighan, welcomed the allocations noting: "I have great confidence the funding will have a significant impact, supporting the community, business sector and off farm enterprise."

He also paid tribute to the Leitrim Development Company and Sligo Leader Partnership for their work in the delivery of funding into their local communities over the past number of years.

The selection process for the latest round of funding has now begun and will be conducted over two stages; the first stage is an ‘Expression of Interest’ by eligible groups followed by a more detailed stage which will see them develop their LEADER strategies.

The first stage of the process was opened by Minister Humphreys who said: “LEADER operates on a ground-up approach and is all about empowering local communities to deliver projects that will revitalise our towns and villages.

“The process will be open, transparent and competitive and I am encouraging groups in the private and public sector to work together to achieve the best possible results,” she also noted following the allocation announcement.

Minister Humphreys explained that interested parties will now have until Friday, December 16, 2022 to submit their Expression of Interest (Stage 1).

All groups that are successful in Stage 1 will be provided with funding to assist with the costs associated with developing a Local Development Strategy in Stage 2 of the process.

A fund of €2m has been ring-fenced for this purpose which will commence in early 2023.

Minister Humphreys also took the opportunity to acknowledge the tremendous work of the local action groups that have successfully delivered the current LEADER programme, stating: “It is now important that the key public and private stakeholders in communities across Ireland come together in partnership to deliver a LEADER programme that will build on the fantastic success of the programme over the last 30 years.”