Leader Funding Budget

A Country Voice

Hi guys,
I just heard a guy on the pat kenny show talking about emigration and how its hitting GAA clubs etc, I assume he was reporting from the GAA congress.

He mentioned Leader funding though, and the figures he quoted were shocking.

I think he said that over 300 million euro was the allocated budget for the plan from 2007 to 2013 when it finishes, and that only approx 75 million had been drawn down to date, with over 40 million of that being swallowed up by administration!!!!

Anyone have any idea where a guy could pull up some actual figures on this? I almost crashed the car when I heard him

ACV

Farmer Pudsey

They are near enough the actual figures you have to jump through hoops to get the money. Nobody is applying while access to money is tight the problem with Leader is that they have gone overboard on paper work and you are very limited on what you can get funding for. The rate is 50% so it is as cheap to go and do the project yourself and avoid the hassle

The_Honeybadger

The leader programme 2007-2013 didn't actually start until mid 2009 so the figures aren't as bad as claimed. Spend on the programme is always slow to begin with as large projects funded under it can take years to complete and pay out. The spend will increase hugely over the next two years as large capital projects are completed while the admin will stay steady. It is also worth mentioning that funding for food projects under the programme was suspended from January 2011. Food was a cornerstone of the funding and this has affected the spend. I agree the figures look dreadful on the face of it but because of the nature of the programme it needs to be assessed at the end of the six years which will be in 2015. Go to any European country and you will find similar figures. Also I didn't hear that radio show but trying to blame the woes of rural gaa clubs on leader is frankly ridiculous.

Farmer Pudsey

mickeyk wrote: »

The leader programme 2007-2013 didn't actually start until mid 2009 so the figures aren't as bad as claimed. Spend on the programme is always slow to begin with as large projects funded under it can take years to complete and pay out. The spend will increase hugely over the next two years as large capital projects are completed while the admin will stay steady. I'd look into it a bit more before taking what pat Kenny says as gospel.

The programme is in crisis it is way too restrictive the government is watching to change the rules to get intrest in it. If you take it that 40 million has been spend on Administration in two and a half years in another year when the spending gets going you are looking at about 80 million out of 300 hundred million being spend on administration if the 300 million is spend
There is a rumbling's that the grant will increse to 75% and that there will be Local Authority involvment to help get projects off the ground.

In any well run project 10% is all that is needed on administration you might get to 15% but this is heading to 30% how hard can it be to give out a grant unless you want to make sure that it runs until after 2013 so that you will be able to have a job in the next gravy train

The_Honeybadger

If you think it's wasteful now pudsey wait until big phil gives the money to the local authorities which is what he is proposing to do. The programme btw is due to wrap up in 2015, and admin is capped at 20 per cent with penalties for exceeding that figure.

A Country Voice

A Country Voice wrote: »

Hi guys,
I just heard a guy on the pat kenny show talking about .........

It was a guy talking on the pat kenny show that I was talking about, not quoting pat kenny.

I thought the programme was 2007 to 2013, not running on until 2015.
Will this programme not end 31-12-12?

As I said, I was looking for info on it. I wouldnt take anything I heard on the radio during a conversation as gospel without seeking further info on it.

I think the guy from the GAA was debating how emigration could be slowed, by drawing down more money from this available funding and pumping it into the rural economy for everyones benefit. He wasnt blaming the woes of GAA clubs in rural areas on Leader, he was simply stating that if money flowed more freely from the fund it might help to stem the flow of emigration.

Theres serious hoops to jump through alright. I've made an application for funding myself under this programme within the past few years, and been involved in a few more.

In my opinion it could be a good programme if a few of the layers of public service beuracracy were removed and thereby less hoops to jump through.

Just my opinion of course.
I'd love to hear others.

ACV

holyfield10

is there an official website with details of the scheme ??

The_Honeybadger

A Country Voice wrote: »

It was a guy talking on the pat kenny show that I was talking about, not quoting pat kenny.

I thought the programme was 2007 to 2013, not running on until 2015.
Will this programme not end 31-12-12?

As I said, I was looking for info on it. I wouldnt take anything I heard on the radio during a conversation as gospel without seeking further info on it.

I think the guy from the GAA was debating how emigration could be slowed, by drawing down more money from this available funding and pumping it into the rural economy for everyones benefit. He wasnt blaming the woes of GAA clubs in rural areas on Leader, he was simply stating that if money flowed more freely from the fund it might help to stem the flow of emigration.

Theres serious hoops to jump through alright. I've made an application for funding myself under this programme within the past few years, and been involved in a few more.

In my opinion it could be a good programme if a few of the layers of public service beuracracy were removed and thereby less hoops to jump through.

Just my opinion of course.
I'd love to hear others.

ACV

Apologies OP, wasn't trying to be a smartarse. The programme started over two years late so two years will be added at the end to make up for this, with it likely to finish some time in 2015, not sure if a date has been agreed. I have also worked in an organisation that applied for funding in the past and have a good friend who works with one of the rural development companies, the paperwork is very heavy but this is down to the European Commission rather than the government here. The admin costs do seem high at the moment, but as I stated above the first few years are about getting people to apply and take up the money, with the last few years spent completing and paying out the money as projects are completed which brings the admin cost into line over the six years. The primary beneficiaries of the money are community groups, with the money being used to pay for large projects like community centres, playgrounds and tourism amenities etc. These types of things can take years from the planning to implementation stage.
It's true that the programme is behind target and the govt are taking steps to address this and get the money spent asap, most EU countries are in the same boat afaik. I agree with you in that it is a good programme that is being strangled in red tape and excessive admin. A necessary evil however if the govt want to continue to get this money from Europe. I live in a rural area and some very worthwhile projects have been done in my area with Leader money, I'd hate to see any of the money going back to Europe unspent but that is probably unlikely if the govt get the changes they want approved.

@holyfield10 lots of info on the dept of environment website, and if you look up the LEADER companies (30 or so around the country) on the web you will see examples of stuff they have funded etc on their websites. ILDN (I think) are their umbrella body who also probably have their own website.