Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 218: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he proposes to address the issue of depopulation by way of specifically funded projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37234/05]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Through the CLÁR programme, my Department has continued in 2005 to address depopulation, as well as the decline and lack of services in rural areas. The programme covers areas in 18 counties, with a population of 362,000, including areas I announced in January 2003 in light of the 2002 population census data. The average population loss in the selected areas is 50%. The exception is the Cooley Peninsula, which was included on the basis of the serious difficulties caused there by foot and mouth disease. CLÁR funds or co-funds, together with other Departments, State agencies and local authorities, investment in selected priority developments. These investments support physical, economic and social infrastructure across a wide range of measures and reflect the priorities identified by the communities in the selected areas whom I consulted at the start of the programme. This funding helps rural communities overcome local difficulties and achieve access to a range of essential services such as water supply, sewerage disposal, road access, broadband communication, community and economic infrastructure and so on. I intend to continue these procedures for any new measures introduced, depending on needs identified. I will keep the operation of existing measures under review.

CLÁR funds of €35 million were spent on the various measures from 2002-2004 with related public and private expenditure of approximately €36.5 million. The financial provision for 2005 is €13.7 million and a comprehensive work programme will be completed this year. The Estimates provision for 2006 is €13.95 million and this funding will again be targeted at disadvantaged rural areas experiencing low or declining populations. I am satisfied that the needs of the people in the CLÁR areas are being met through the efficient and effective delivery of the programme and that CLÁR is making a sustained and strong positive contribution to rural communities. My Department also funds a range of other programmes such as the Leader programme, the rural social scheme, Gaeltacht and island schemes etc. which address rural depopulation in a general way through a number of supports. Information on these programmes is available on my Department's website at www.pobail.ie.