Representatives of local development companies (LDCs) have met with MEPs in Dublin today (Monday, June 29) to present a report outlining the benefits of ringfenced funding under the EU's LEADER programme for rural development.

The Local Development Companies Network (LDCN) commissioned the report, which showed that LEADER has provided €286 million in investment for over 6,800 projects in rural communities in Ireland over the last 10 years.

Meeting MEPs at Europe House in Dublin, the LDCN presented the findings of the report and called for the protection of LEADER funding.

The current European Commission proposals on the next EU long-term budget calls for new National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs) for each member state, in which LEADER and the wider Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) would have to compete with other funding priorities, thereby limiting their funding.

The LDCN said that LEADER is "a cornerstone of EU rural development policy", and should be safeguarded.

The network said its report "comes at a critical juncture, as negotiations continue on the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework [MFF], where proposed changes risk how LEADER funding is delivered".

The report shows that, between 2016 and 2026, LEADER supported 6,858 projects, delivered €286.7 million in funding, and leveraged an additional €143 million in matched investment for rural communities.

Speaking at the event today, Máirín Ó Cuireáin, CEO of the LDCN, said: "As Ireland assumes the EU presidency, there is a vital opportunity to ensure that LEADER remains a protected, ringfenced instrument within the next European budget.

"Over more than three decades, this programme has empowered communities to shape their own futures, supporting local enterprise, strengthening social inclusion, and sustaining rural life across the country," Ó Cuireáin added.

"A diluted LEADER programme in Ireland risks the future of the critical social infrastructure around local development companies in Ireland’s rural communities," Ó Cuireáin said.

The LDCN said that LEADER supports "a rural population of 3.4 million people and remains a key delivery mechanism for place-based community led development".

LDCN chairperson Thomas Fitzpatrick said: "LEADER is widely recognised as the EU’s flagship model for bottom-up rural development, placing communities at the centre of decision-making.

"As negotiations progress, it is essential that Ireland continues to advocate strongly for dedicated, ringfenced funding that reflects both the scale of need and the proven impact of this approach," Fitzpatrick added.