Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I introduced the CLÁR programme in October 2001 to address depopulation, as well as the decline and lack of services in rural areas. Areas in 18 counties, amounting to a total population of 362,000, have been selected under the programme, including areas I announced in January 2003 in light of the 2002 population census data. This honoured the commitment in An Agreed Programme for Government to review the programme. Areas included were those that suffered the greatest population decline from 1926 to 2002 with an average population loss of 50%. The exception is the Cooley Peninsula, which was included on the basis of the serious difficulties caused there by foot and mouth disease. No areas of counties Carlow or Wicklow were included in the programme. There are no plans for any further review of the boundary of CLÁR areas and no other significant areas fulfil the population criteria for inclusion in CLÁR.

CLÁR funds, or co-funds, together with other Departments, State agencies and local authorities, investment in selected priority developments. These investments are made through a series of more than 20 measures which support physical, economic and social infrastructure such as electricity conversion, roads, water and sewerage, village, housing and schools enhancement, health, broadband and sports and community projects. The measures reflect the priorities identified by the communities in the selected areas whom I consulted at the beginning of the programme.

The measures were agreed with and are, for the most part, operated in tandem with the lead Departments, State agencies or public utilities, as appropriate. This ensures efficiency and effectiveness and meets the needs of the people in the CLÁR areas. I intend to continue this practice for new measures I may introduce, depending on identified needs. Equally, I will keep the operation of existing measures under review.

The merits of this practice are reflected in the successful delivery of the programme and vividly demonstrate that relatively small amounts of specifically targeted public funding can have a profound and positive impact in disadvantaged rural areas. Expenditure under the programme amounted to €14.14 million in 2002, €8.613 million in 2003 and €12.116 million in 2004, which it is estimated levered out a further €36 million in related public and private expenditure in those three years. The provisional Estimate for 2005 is €13.7 million, an increase of more than 13% on the 2004 outturn. I have recently decided on the allocation of the 2005 provision to existing measures and possible new measures. As a result, I expect that, once again, a comprehensive work programme will be completed in 2005.

I recently announced €6 million co-funding with the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government for non-national roads projects in CLÁR areas. This funding will continue to improve the provision of local road access and the installation of flashing amber safety lights at schools. Local authorities may also replace, widen or strengthen bridges from their 2005 allocation.

I am satisfied that this allocation will be sufficient to improve significantly local roads in CLÁR areas this year. CLÁR will also fund other categories of local roads this year, namely, local improvement scheme roads and forestry access roads. I expect that CLÁR investment in these roads in 2005 will be in the region of €3 million.

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