A breakdown of the number and types of the 135 rural development projects supported or approved under Leader+ or the National Rural Development Programme, has shown most were presented by private rather than community groups.
A seminar organised by the Irish Leader Support Unit in the Tipperary Institute, Thurles, also showed that most projects were directly related to agriculture.
Ms Cora Horgan of ILSU told participating Leader company managers that the 135 projects made a potential spend of €5.6 million, and €2.6 million of this had been accessed.
Her survey found most of the 27 groups that responded to her query had funding of less than €100,000 committed or in the process of being committed.
"While a small number of groups appear to support a few projects with high levels of funding, the general trend is for a greater number of projects with moderate levels of funding to be supported," she said.
"Of the four Local Action Groups which have supported more than 10 projects under the measure, total spends by each range from €36,562 to €337,804. Those with three or fewer projects supported, two have supported just one project each but at funding levels of over €90,000," she said.
She said one group had supported two projects with a spend exceeding €100,000.
While most projects she was informed about came from the agriculture sector, 118, there were four forestry projects and there were 13 projects involving fisheries, said Ms Horgan.
Her survey found most projects supported or approved would receive 50 per cent funding of the total project cost.
Ms Horgan said the full breakdown of the projects showed 87 per cent were in the agriculture sector, 10 per cent in fisheries and 3 per cent in forestry.
Examples of projects being supported were given to the seminar including the an electronic poultry weighing scheme involving 45 farmers in Monaghan/Cavan, foliage growing in Co Wexford, a bio-fuel oilseed rape crushing plant in Kilkenny and a commercial hurley-making enterprise in Co Tipperary.
The network also supported projects involving exchanges of learning at local level between Teagasc and Local Action Groups.