Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 230: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will formally give a letter of approval to a local authority (details supplied) in respect of CLÁR funding for phase 2 of projects in order that they can proceed. [24204/10]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department approved CLÁR funding for the projects referred to by the Deputy in August 2008. I understand that those projects represented Phase 1 of larger developments, which the local authority chose to proceed in various phases. To date, funding has been fully drawn down for just one of the projects and I am advised that the others have yet to be completed.

The particular measure under which the CLÁR funding in question is being provided was closed to new applications from August 2008 and I have had no correspondence with the local authority involved, other than in relation to the already approved projects. The Deputy will appreciate that, in the circumstances, it is not possible to issue a letter of approval to the local authority for any funding over and above that which is already being provided.

I should also point out that the CLÁR Programme seeks to facilitate the progress of projects by way of top-up funding and, accordingly, that the primary funding must, in the first place, be provided by the bodies responsible for the developments in question.