Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 131: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the extent to which the CLÁR programme is intended to expand or retract in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9253/09]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The CLÁR Programme provides funding and co-funding to Government Departments, State agencies and local authorities to accelerate investment in selected priority developments in areas that have suffered significant depopulation. These investments support physical, economic 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.

The CLÁR programme budget for 2009 currently stands at €16.9.m and represents a reduction on the 2008 allocations. I would emphasise, however, that one of the strengths of the CLÁR Programme has always been its ability to focus on priority needs in CLÁR areas. The CLÁR programme will continuously be refocused to deal with the priorities for those areas, especially in the current difficult economic climate.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 132: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the extent to which the RAPID programme is intended to expand or retract in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9254/09]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The RAPID Programme aims to ensure that priority attention is given to tackling the spatial concentration of poverty and social exclusion within 46 designated RAPID areas nationally. As I have indicated to the House on a number of occasions, it is a matter for individual Departments to report on the provision of funding and progress on delivery with respect to projects under their responsibility in the RAPID areas. In support, 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 — and the Deputy may find it useful to access this information.

I initiated the RAPID leverage schemes in 2004 in order to support small-scale projects identified locally by the Area Implementation Teams in each of the RAPID areas. These schemes are co-funded by the relevant agencies and fund projects that focus on estate enhancement, graffiti removal, traffic calming, community closed-circuit television, health and sports facilities, and the provision of playgrounds and multi-use games areas. In 2007 I agreed to co-fund the provision of facilities in schools located in, or mainly servicing children from, RAPID areas. €6.09m has been allocated in 2009 for the RAPID leverage schemes. I am satisfied that this year's allocation will be sufficient to enable further good progress to be made with small-scale co-funded projects in RAPID areas in 2009.