COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, March 12, 2012

QUESTION NO. 3

QUESTION: Councillor E. Higgins

To ask the Manager for a report on the level of engagement with Leader and to advise as to whether it is possible for the Council to make available a ‘refundable deposit’ to local communities who wish to avail of Leaders services but do not have the capital to invest in projects in instances where Leader would reimburse them to the value of 75 % circa?

REPLY:

South Dublin County Council has engaged  with Leader at a number of levels within the Leader Company structures.

The Council has taken up representation on:

(1) The South Dublin Rural Development Taskforce (which provides a forum for the local rural communities, the local partnership companies and Leader staff to discuss need and to assist on community identified projects),

(2) The Leader Evaluation and Advisory Council and

(3) The Joint LEADER Advisory Council.

There is an internal cross departmental team also meeting regularly on opportunities that would attract funding from the LEADER programme. There is no budgetary capacity for the Council to front load payments to groups in terms of funding but members should be aware that volunteer and advisory time is acceptable as a value towards the community input into the project and is expressed in monetary terms at application phase.