Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am sorry about that but it was the truth. I was glad to be able to open the programme again, like the sports capital grants.

With regard to the modest funds, I got great satisfaction from the number of schools throughout the State that actually wrote to the Department afterwards. The funding was small - €700 or €800 - for road marking, for playgrounds and simple things in and around schools for school safety. I will leave that measure in place again for this year.

I thank Deputy Heydon for his comments on Kildare. He is correct that the county is not in the CLÁR programme and I need to review that. I will ask my departmental officials about it. I do not want to find that areas might be taken out from the programme. I want to see more areas being brought in. Maybe we should change the scope of the CLÁR programme to bring in more people. I know the Acting Chair, Deputy Durkan, would not object to Kildare being brought in to the CLÁR programme.

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