Galway Bay FM Newsroom - Galway Rural Development and Forum Connemara have welcomed the announcement of an increase in allocation for LEADER Projects across the country over the next two years.
This follows the news that the national LEADER allocation will increase by €50m, following EU support for the Programme.
LEADER is a rural development programme co-funded by the EU which operates a locally-led, bottom-up, approach to meeting the needs of local communities and businesses.
It was also announced yesterday by the government that they would submit an amendment to the European Commission to extend the 2014-2020 Rural Development Programme, under which LEADER is funded, out to the end of 2022 as part of the EU co-funded Rural Development Programme.
LEADER, implemented by Forum Connemara and GRD in Galway, is co-financed by the EU and is part of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP).
CEO of Galway Rural Development Steve Dolan said “The additional funding promised will allow us to support local communities and enterprises to respond to the challenges in their areas over the coming years, and will deliver critical stimulus to rural areas to drive the post-COVID recovery.”
Karen Mannion, CEO of Forum Connemara, echoed that view, adding “This additional funding is welcome and timely as it will ensure a sustainable level of funding is in place for rural Galway post-COVID. It greatly helps us in our efforts to support facilities and job creation possibilities throughout rural Co Galway.”
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