Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 139, 149 and 188 together.

I introduced the CLÁR programme in October 2001 to address depopulation as well as the decline and lack of services in rural areas. An Agreed Programme for Government contained a commitment to annual funding for the CLÁR programme and to consider additional areas for inclusion in light of the 2002 population census data. The Government decided on the additional areas for inclusion in the CLÁR programme and I announced these on 17 January 2003. Areas in 18 counties amounting to a total population of 361,000 are now included in the programme. There are no plans for any further review of the boundary of CLÁR areas. I can also confirm that no other significant areas fulfil the population criteria for inclusion in CLÁR.

The provision in the Estimates for 2004 is €13.49 million and this funding will continue to support investment in physical, economic and social infrastructure across a wide range of measures. To date in 2004, more than €14 million has been allocated to the counties in CLÁR under the various measures operating under the programme. Some measures operate on a two-year cycle, 2004 and 2005, and this is reflected in the funding allocated. In some cases, the bulk of the approved funding in 2004 will not fall for payment in the same year, for example, top-up funding under the 2004 sports capital programme.

The breakdown by county is as follows: Cavan — €1.1 million; Clare — €2.124 million; Cork — €1.077 million; Donegal — €818,000; Galway — €1.682 million; Kerry — €972,000; Leitrim — €1.406 million; Limerick — €29,000; Longford — €236,000; Louth — €154,000; Mayo — €1.3 million; Meath — €29,000; Monaghan — €118,000; Roscommon — €1.156 million; Sligo — €1.404 million; Tipperary North — €196,000; Tipperary South — €23,000; Waterford — €361,000; and Westmeath — €103,000.

See this speech in context