The North Cork LEADER Programme made a step closer to reality this week with confirmation coming from Cork County Council that the programme will be launched in the coming weeks, with a funding allocation to the value of €5.1m over the lifetime of the programme (2016 – 2020).
This funding will be supplemented by a Cork County Council funded top-up of 25%. This supplementary fund of €1.28m has been made available by Cork County Council as a response to the dramatic cut in allocation from the previous LEADER programme, but moreover in recognition of the great work undertaken heretofore by the incumbent local development companies through LEADER enabling additional projects to be carried out i.e. projects that would not otherwise proceed due to lack of funds. This gives a total budget for the Leader Programme in North Cork to €6.38m from 2016 to 2020.
The Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys TD, signing the first batch of Funding Agreements under the LEADER Programme 2020. Pictured at the signing were L-R: Aidan Gleeson (Ballyhoura Development) , Seán Hegarty (Avondhu Blackwater Partnership), Niall Healy (Cork County Council), Valerie Murphy (Avondhu Blackwater Partnership), Tom Stritch (Cork County Council), Pádraig Casey (Ballyhoura Development). Seated L-R: Cllr. Gerard Murphy (Chair, North Cork LAG), Heather Humphreys (Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs).
The three Cork Local Community Development Committees LCDC’s) in conjunction with the Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Mr. Tim Lucey, have written to the Minister responsible expressing concerns with regard to the LEADER allocation.
The North Cork Local Community Development Committee (LCDC), which is a Committee of Cork County Council, will be the LEADER Local Action Group (LAG) for North Cork which means that it will be responsible for managing and administering LEADER funding under the upcoming LEADER programme 2016 – 2020. Consisting essentially of a consortium between the LCDC and the three incumbent local development companies of Avondhu Blackwater Partnership, Ballyhoura Development and IRD Duhallow, the North Cork LAG is committed to rolling out the programme and distributing the funding to local communities in North Cork as soon as possible.
The North Cork Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) who met this week in Cork County Council Offices, Anabella, Mallow.
The North Cork LEADER Programme will be officially launched in the coming weeks, and contact details, application forms and further information will be published shortly and will also be available on www.northcorkleaderlag.com
