Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 77: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if the reasoning for the extension of the CLÁR programme, which is an average drop in population of 35 per cent per each county between 1926 and 2002, is not a worrying trend in relation to depopulation of rural areas here. [18167/06]

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 85: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his views on whether the CLÁR programme will require additional funding for 2006 and subsequent years in view of the recent decision to expand the geographical area which can claim CLÁR funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18154/06]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 89: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the recent changes he has made to the CLÁR programme; the basis on which he has decided to expand the programme in most CLÁR areas and to introduce the scheme in a further five counties; the budget for CLÁR for 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18121/06]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 93: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if the process of evaluating and considering the findings of the review of the CLÁR areas is complete; if changes to the CLÁR areas are being made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18129/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 344: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his plans to extend or expand the CLÁR programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18393/06]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 77, 85, 89, 93 and 344 together.

I agree with the Deputy that the population decline in CLÁR areas is a worrying trend and that was one of the main reasons I introduced the CLÁR Programme (Ceantair Laga Árd-Riachtanais) back in late 2001. The Programme provides funding to Government Departments, State Agencies and Local Authorities to accelerate investment in selected priority developments. These investments support physical, community and social infrastructure across a variety of measures. The measures introduced under the Programme reflect the priorities identified by the communities in the selected areas.

In late 2005, I commissioned the National Institute of Regional and Spatial Analysis (NIRSA) in NUI Maynooth to carry out a further review of population data on which the Programme is based. NIRSA analysed the 2002 population census data to identify new areas for inclusion on the basis of average population loss in each county of not less than 35% between 1926 and 2002.

In early April, following the completion of their work, I announced an expansion of the Programme in the existing CLÁR areas and an extension into parts of five new counties (Wicklow, Carlow, Laois, Kilkenny and Offaly). This brings the total number of counties covered by the Programme to 23.

The Programme was expanded on the following basis: Areas now included are those areas in counties with an average drop of population of 35% per county between 1926 and 2002; In all counties, towns of 3,000 and over and their peri-urban areas have been excluded, irrespective of county decline in population; Contiguous CLÁR Electoral Districts (EDs), including those across county boundaries, have a minimum population of 1,000; and As a result the number of EDs included in the Programme has increased by 729 to 1,614 and that total population covered is now 726,724 — roughly a doubling of the existing level.

As the Deputies will appreciate, an expansion of the Programme of this magnitude requires a significant increase in funding. Accordingly, I am very pleased to tell the Deputies that I secured an increase in CLÁR funding of approximately €9m for 2006, bringing the overall level of funding available this year to €22.95m.

I feel that this consistent process of funding small community and rural projects — many of which might otherwise not be funded — is having a major impact on the lives of people living in these CLÁR areas. Furthermore, I have no doubt that the people living in the new CLÁR areas will soon feel the very real benefits of inclusion in the Programme.