Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)
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Question 3: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number and details of projects his Department has funded under the CLÁR programme in east Galway; the number and details of applications refused under this programme in east Galway; the number and details of projects awaiting processing under this programme in east Galway; the amount of funding allocated to east Galway as a percentage of the overall CLÁR funding programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11494/05]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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CLÁR funds, or co-funds with other Departments, State agencies and local authorities, investment in selected priority developments. These investments are made through a series of measures that support physical, economic and social infrastructure such as roads, water and sewerage, village, housing and schools enhancement, health, electricity conversion and sports and community projects. No specific allocations are made to the CLÁR areas of counties from each year's Estimates provision for the programme. Some measures are demand led while in other cases the projects are by and large selected or recommended by the relevant Departments, State agencies, LEADER groups and local authorities in consultation with my Department.

In addition, under the non-national roads measure, allocations from a €6 million co-fund with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, which I announced in February, were made to each local authority based on the county's percentage of the total CLÁR population. However, as the local authorities select the projects, neither my Department nor the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has any discretion in the selection of projects save for their being in a CLÁR area and meeting the terms of the measure.

There are 70 district electoral divisions in county Galway which are included in the CLÁR programme. Of these, 43 are in east Galway. Funding for projects in these DEDs under the various measures in the programme totals nearly €1.3 million from 2002 to date in 2005. Commitments entered into for the comparable period and yet to be drawn down amount to more than €580,000. The total spend in east Galway since the inception of the programme is as follows:

As it is not practical to provide all the information here, I am arranging to send the Deputy full details, by DED, of expenditure and commitments made but not yet drawn down in respect of each CLÁR measure.

Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)
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I thank the Minister for his reply, but does he not agree that the small amount of information given in his reply is very disappointing from the perspective of Galway East? Does the Minister recall how the CLÁR programme was warmly welcomed when it was launched? The Minister came to Galway East as part of the promotional tour for the programme. I was also enthusiastic about the programme because I thought it would deliver many parts of my constituency from the misery and neglect they have suffered over a number of years. Does the Minister agree that, from a Galway East perspective, my optimism was without foundation? Does he further agree that this programme has been a failure from the perspective of my constituents in that it has not helped them?

The Minister and I share the same county but different constituencies. Does the Minister agree that his constituency of Galway West has benefited much more from the CLÁR programme than my constituency of Galway East? In his reply, the Minister said that there are approximately 27 DEDs in the CLÁR area in Galway West and approximately 43 DEDs in the CLÁR area in Galway East. Does the Minister agree that, looking at last year's allocations under the programme, Galway West benefited by a factor of approximately 3:1 over and above Galway East?

I can give the Minister some examples if I have sufficient time. Under the LIS roads funded CLÁR programme in 2004, there were nine roads in Galway West to the value of €100,000 while there were three roads in Galway East to the value of €26,000. In 2004, there were four small public water and sewerage schemes funded under the CLÁR programme in Galway West and two schemes in Galway East. That is not a factor of 3:1 but when one examines the money, one will find that this is a much greater multiple of 3:1 in favour of Galway West. The figures were €680,000 for Galway West and €131,000 for Galway East. This is particularly relevant for communities like Milltown, Glenamaddy and Creggs. The Minister has visited Creggs. The town has an inadequate sewerage system. They are crying out for some form of Government assistance to help improve their lot but no help is coming. It concerns me that this programme, though brilliant in theory, does not deliver in my constituency.

The Minister visited Dunmore recently——

Séamus Pattison (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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The Deputy should confine himself to a brief statement.

Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)
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Does the Minister agree that three CLÁR-Leader village and countryside enhancement schemes were sanctioned for Galway West in 2004 and only one for Galway East? This is particularly relevant in cases such as Dunmore. Will the Minister reply?

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Do not embarrass the Minister further.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputies and Senators from Galway East amaze me. It is obvious they do not know how these schemes work. I will outline the position quickly to show Deputy McHugh that, if something is happening, it is because the local authority has made certain decisions. It is out of my hands.

We made an allocation of approximately €498,000 to Galway County Council for non-national roads and told the council to select the project. We had no input in the selection process whatsoever. The only criteria were that they must be class two or class three roads, that no project could cost over €30,000 unless it is a bridge and it must have been in a CLÁR area. There was more work done in the east of the county than the west in 2004, but that was a matter for the local authority as I had no say in the matter. As the Deputy knows, there are more councillors from the east than the west. He should have his councillors sort that out.

Coillte picked its designated roads in consultation with local authorities. I had no input in that. The LIS roads are in the same situation. The position is simple, an initial allocation is made by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. For every €2 spent in any CLÁR area in the county, we allocate another €1. The selection of the supplementary roads funded by CLÁR moneys is a matter for the local authority and we have no input as long as the projects are inside CLÁR areas. If there is an east-west bias it is within the county council and has nothing to do with me as Minister. If its members favour the east I bow to their wishes and, similarly, if they favour the west I bow to their wishes.

Group water schemes and public water schemes are dealt with on demand. An allocation of a block grant is made by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and spending is at the discretion of the council, but if any of that grant is spent in a CLÁR area, we automatically back it euro for euro. However, I have no discretion in this.

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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The Minister lives in the west.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Even though I live in the west of the county, if the council wishes to spend that money in the east of the county, it can. I will go through this with the Deputy for an hour or 30 minutes at some time if he wishes. I will go through it line by line to show him that I cannot and do not in any way influence the specific choices made in respect of the CLÁR programme. Everything is objective and fair. If there is an east-west bias in County Galway, it is one of two things, either the western community is more active or the county council favours the west over the east. This would be amazing, implying the seven members from the west can out-manoeuvre the 23 members from the east.

Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)
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Are we not automatically——

Séamus Pattison (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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We must proceed.

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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If only other Galway men could agree with the Minister.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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We can go into this matter in more detail in the committee. I am open to suggestions. This allegation——

Séamus Pattison (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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We must continue with the next question.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I would love to continue this debate but I must bow to the ruling of the Chair.