Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 147: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the full extent and location of expenditure under the RAPID programme in 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31421/06]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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As I have indicated to the House on a number of occasions, it is a matter for individual Departments to report progress with their projects under the RAPID programme. In support of my Department, Pobal collects data from each RAPID area in respect of funding allocations received by projects from Government Departments and local state agencies. The latest data in respect of the programme is available on Pobal's website under the RAPID section (http://www.pobal.ie/live/RAPID). The Deputy may find it helpful to access this information. I understand that full data in respect of the year 2006 will not be collected until early 2007.

To-date this year €1.7m has been spent under the RAPID leverage schemes administered by my Department, details of the locations are available and these will be forwarded to the Deputy. In addition some €2.5m has been allocated in top-up grants to projects approved for funding under the Sports Capital Programme 2006. Funding of some €4.5 million has been allocated under the Traffic Measures 06/07 scheme. My Department is currently processing applications for a number of RAPID areas under various schemes and further announcements on funding are forthcoming.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 148: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the full extent of his financial allocations under the CLÁR programme throughout County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31422/06]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The CLÁR Programme is a targeted investment programme for rural areas. Earlier this year, following a further analysis of the 2002 population census data, new areas for inclusion to the Programme were selected on the basis of average population loss in each county of not less than 35% between 1926 and 2002. Towns of 3,000 and over and their peri-urban areas were being excluded, irrespective of county decline in population.

The Programme now covers parts of 22 counties and all of Co. Leitrim and benefits a population of nearly 727,000. County Kildare was not selected for inclusion in the extended Programme as its population increased by approximately 135% between 1926 and 2002. Accordingly, there have been no financial allocations to Co. Kildare under the CLÁR programme.