35 years of LEADER – Minister Calleary congratulates groups on reaching significant milestone
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From: Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht
- Published on: 15 March 2026
- Last updated on: 15 March 2026
The Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, has today (Sunday, 15 March 2026) congratulated LEADER groups all across Ireland for the vital work that has been delivered over the lifetime of the Programme.
The LEADER Programme was launched by the European Commission on this day, 15 March 1991, by Irish Commissioner Ray MacSharry, and once established in Ireland, it has been ever present in rural communities across the country.
LEADER was designed to provide communities with the resources to drive their own local development through a "bottom-up" approach that empowers local partners and communities, with Local Action Groups helping to identify specific needs and directing the development of their areas through Local Development Strategies.
Minister Calleary said:
“The LEADER programme has been a cornerstone of rural development policy in Ireland for 35 years. I want to thank all the stakeholders who have been involved over the years, you should all be very proud of what you have achieved to date. I want to acknowledge former Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Ray MacSharry for his foresight and leadership during his tenure which seen major reforms of the CAP.
“LEADER funding has provided rural communities with the necessary resources to bring about real change in their own local communities, through a community-led local development “bottom-up” approach.”
LEADER has evolved through several programming periods and continues today as part of the 2023–2027 LEADER Programme, which is gathering significant momentum now with projects being approved across the country.
To date under the 2023–2027 programme, over 1,000 projects have been approved for LEADER funding of over €50 million, supporting a broad range of enterprises and community groups across rural Ireland.
Minister Calleary added:
“The milestone of over 1,000 projects being approved for LEADER funding under the 2023–2027 programme is an achievement that shows the considerable support from my department and the European Union to rural communities nationwide.
“Grant aid awarded under the LEADER programme has played a critical role in empowering communities across rural Ireland by providing community groups, businesses, and individuals with the required resources to actively direct local development in their areas.
“This has enabled our rural communities to address the specific needs and challenges in their local areas and to become more resilient, while supporting job creation, and improving social and economic wellbeing.”
LEADER into the future
The LEADER programme is funded as an intervention under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and, therefore, the development of the EU regulations relating to the post 2027 CAP, is a matter of significant importance to the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht.
Ireland has and will continue to advocate for a well-funded CAP that supports farm viability and resilience, environmental ambition, and rural development measures such as LEADER.
Minister Calleary concluded:
“The development of the CAP post-2027 is a matter of significant importance for my Department. As these EU negotiations progress I will continue to advocate for the LEADER programme to remain a core element of the new CAP framework and for the continued prioritisation of a well funded LEADER programme in the coming years”
Further information about the LEADER Programme is available online via the Department’s LEADER homepage: www.gov.ie/LEADER
Notes
Background to LEADER being launched
The European Commission launched the LEADER Initiative on 15 March 1991 to address problems in rural areas that traditional "top-down" policies had failed to fix.
In December 1991, it was announced that 17 Irish rural development groups would receive funding under the programme.
The initiative provided local actors with resources and support to direct the development of their own areas, fostering local decision-making on projects and business plans.
The LEADER programme has evolved through several successive programming periods:
- 1991-1993: Initial pilot phase (LEADER I)
- 1994-1999: LEADER II
- 2000-2006: LEADER+
- 2007-2013: Part of the Rural Development Programme (RDP)
- 2014-2020: Part of the Rural Development Programme (RDP)
- 2021-2022: A transitional period put in place due to delays in the next EU framework.
- 2023-2027: The current programme, funded through Ireland's CAP Strategic Plan and a budget of €180 million, focusing on economic development, social inclusion, and the rural environment.
Current 2023-2027 LEADER programme
The LEADER programme is a multiannual funding programme that is co-financed by the European Commission under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
LEADER supports private enterprises and community groups via a community-led approach to local development with an aim to improve the quality of life and economic activity in rural areas.
It is delivered by a network of Local Action Groups (LAGs) selected to implement Local Development Strategies for their respective geographical areas. The current 2023-2027 LEADER programme is delivered via 33 LAGs in 28 sub-regional areas across the country. For the most part, sub-regional areas are aligned to the county boundaries.
Funding under the 2023-2027 LEADER programme is not targeted at any particular group or sector or activity in rural communities. Rather, it is focused on a thematic approach to rural development under the headings of:
- Economic Development and Job Creation
- Rural Infrastructure and Social Inclusion
- Sustainable Development of the Rural Environment and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation
The programme is operational across the country with projects supporting a broad range of enterprises and community groups progressing through the approval stages.
The 2023-2027 LEADER programme has total funding of €180 million, with over 1,000 projects approved to date for LEADER funding of over €50 million, supporting a broad range of enterprises and community groups across rural Ireland.
Post-2027 LEADER Programme Update
The next EU Budget (or Multiannual Financial Framework) post-2027 and the next Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) will provide critical support to the economic, social and environmental performance of rural Ireland. The development of the post-2027 CAP is therefore a matter of significant importance for the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (DRCDG).
This is important in the context of the LEADER programme, which is funded through a mixture of European and national exchequer funding, and more generally in relation to European funding for wider rural development measures.
To facilitate the current negotiation process, the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine has established a CAP Consultative Committee, with representatives invited from DRCDG and other rural stakeholders. As part of this committee, DRCDG has and will continue to advocate for the LEADER programme to remain a core element of the new CAP framework and the continued prioritisation of rural development measures.