Kieran Coughlan: LEADER 2014-2020 scheme (very) slowly takes shape
LEADER is an EU-based project which over the past 25 years has provided financial and development support to rural communities and rural businesses.
The measures funded have included village enhancement, farm diversification, tourism and rural enterprise creation.
Projects previously funded, or supported in the last round of funding here in my area of Co Cork include the Bantry Driving Academy, the Top-of-the-Rock farm accommodation centre, Fuchsia branding, Toonsbridge Dairy Limited, Funmanway, Kinsale Arts Week, etc.
The national budget under the previous 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme amounted to €340m.
The next round of LEADER funding, for 2014 to 2020, is cut by more than 25%, to €250m.
LEADER funding is split into regional allocations, but more importantly, this latest round of funding is being allocated on a tender basis to competing local action groups.
The West Cork Development Partnership (WCDP) has been responsible for administering funding and giving support to applicants locally for the past 25 years.
However the partnership has lost out in its bid to become the local action group to provide these services for the current scheme.
Cork County Council has established three Local Community Development Committees (LCDC’s) covering South, North and West Cork, and these LCDCs have instead been chosen to manage the current round of funding in West Cork.
However WCDP has said it will lodge a formal appeal agaisnt the appointment.
WCDP is involved in non-LEADER activities such as the TUS (previously Fás) scheme, the rural social scheme, and the warmer homes initiative.
However, the viability of the WCDP and the fate of its employees could be severely compromised without LEADER.
Maybe a change in management for LEADER in West Cork would bring a different style ,given that the LCDCs will have a different agenda for how LEADER should be distributed, but it seems unfortunate, at the least, that the skills, experience, systems and networks already in place by the WCDP could be lost, and need to be created from scratch by the LCDCs.
Meanwhile, plans submitted by WCDP and the LCDCs have yet to be published.
We are nearly a year into the programme, and yet, applicants and communities are operating in an information void, and do not know when funding will be available. Even when LEADER opens for applications, the process for applicants can take significant time before approval is granted.
LEADER delays in West Cork threaten to make it difficult for applicants to even prepare business cases.
* Improving the competitiveness of agriculture;
* Sustainable management of natural resources and climate action;
* Balanced territorial development of rural areas.
It is expected that LEADER funding will be up to 50% for private promoters, and up to 75% for community organisations, and training activities may be funded up to 100%.
For communities and rural entrepreneurs, LEADER programme delays will inevitably result in many projects either not coming to life at all or failing as a result of lack of financial and “soft” supports such as mentoring, marketing, advisory and networking assistance.
Hopefully the scheme will get moving fast, to bring a much needed flow of funding to rural businesses and communities.
