Fine Gael TD for Wicklow/Carlow East, Andrew Doyle has welcomed a funding package of €6,336,549 million for the LEADER element of the Rural Development Programme announced by the Government.
“Investment in the LEADER programme is of huge significance to Wicklow. With the economic recovery underway the Government is determined that the recovery is felt in every corner of Ireland. LEADER funding in Wicklow will be used to support sustainable economic development projects for rural communities ranging from tourism, agri-food and other business activities.
“In addition the money will be targeted at tackling social inclusion, rural isolation as well as increasing the capacity of rural communities to participate in economic development. The exact nature of the projects chosen will be based on ideas that emerge from the communities themselves. An expression of interests process will begin shortly.
LEADER is a community led local development methodology used to deliver Rural Development interventions in Ireland since its inception in the early 1990s. For the 2007-2013 it was mainstreamed into the Rural Development Programme under the overall framework of the Common Agricultural Policy. The LEADER programme is all about community led projects; it is focused on making the recovery local.
“We are committed to empowering rural Ireland, to giving the local people of Wicklow the opportunity to identify where the LEADER programme funding should go and in controlling the allocation at a local level.
“Streamlining operations at a local level should maximise the funding available to support important projects and local communities in Wicklow. I are determined to address issues to create rural impact and I am confident that the 2014-2020 programme will be just as successful as the 2007-2013 programme”
