My question is about the allocation of funding for the new LEADER programme from 2027 onwards. I have seen the success of the programme since it started in my county of Longford. We were successful in getting significant funding, all of which was drawn down for projects in the county. It has had a huge benefit and has improved communities throughout the county.

I have been involved in a number of the projects in my own local area, including community centre funding and playgrounds that have been developed with funding through the LEADER programme. Great work has been done by the staff in Longford Community Resources. Could we get commitments on what Government funding has been put forward to make sure we get a strong allocation in the next LEADER programme?

As the Deputy knows, the LEADER programme is a multi-annual funding programme. It is cofinanced by the European Commission under the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP. The current LEADER programme is operational across the country as we speak, with total funding of €180 million allocated across local action groups to cover the period 2023 to 2027.

When considering LEADER allocations for the post-2027 period, as the Deputy has discussed, the development of the post-2027 CAP and the new regional and national partnership plans is a matter of significant importance to my Department. Ireland has advocated and will continue to advocate for a well-funded and ringfenced EU funding programme that supports farm resilience, environmental ambition and rural development measures such as the LEADER programme.

Since its inception in 1991, the programme has empowered bottom-up, community-led rural development in rural communities across Ireland. It has supported thousands of local projects, revitalised rural communities and supported thousands of jobs and important services across Ireland. It is hugely important and as Minister, I am committed to ensuring that the LEADER programme remains a core element of any new CAP framework.

To facilitate the current negotiation process for the post-2027 period, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has established a CAP consultative committee, which includes representation from my Department. As part of this committee, my Department continues to advocate for the LEADER programme to remain a core intervention of the new CAP post 2027. I continue to work with Government colleagues, the Minister, Deputy Heydon, and the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, to ensure the LEADER programme is well funded into the future and remains a key part of the next MFF. I acknowledge the support of the Minister, Deputy Heydon, and the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, to date with regard to our work. I will be travelling to the European Parliament in November to continue to lobby and work with our colleagues in the European Parliament on the importance of LEADER in the next MFF.

I thank the Minister for that strong commitment. As he said, it has a massive impact in communities throughout the country, from playgrounds to tourism products - you name it. It has left its impact and it is important that we, the local action groups, LAGs, and the local LEADER companies working on the ground know that the Government is going to put in the matched funding to make sure they are able to staff themselves and are ready to roll out to the new programme when it comes.

Absolutely. Since 1991, LEADER companies around the country have made a huge difference. LEADER projects have made a massive difference. It was the former Tánaiste and former Commissioner, Ray McSharry, and the former Minister of State and MEP Mark Killilea. Ireland's fingerprints are very much associated with LEADER and the success of LEADER to date. I will be working to ensure our LEADER funding going forward. There is going to be a very different EU funding environment post 2027 but we will have to work to protect LEADER.

Since LEADER came on board, we have made the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht. Outside of LEADER, we are continuing to invest substantial funding in rural projects and initiatives, funding that was not in place in the early days of LEADER. The Deputy can be absolutely assured that I am making a commitment that we will fight for a very comprehensive LEADER allocation going forward.