Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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982. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding provided in her Department's estimates for the CLÁR programme in 2017; the measures that will be funded; the level of funding allocated to date in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28182/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The 2017 CLÁR programme was launched on 31^stMarch 2017 and will provide funding for small scale infrastructural projects in disadvantaged rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population. The CLÁR programme is funded under Subhead E5 of my Department’s Vote, which has a total allocation of €15.283 million for a number of rural development programmes this year. F unding for the 2017 CLÁR programme is available this year under four separate Measures:

Measure 1: Support for School and Community Safety Measures

Measure 2: Play Areas

Measure 3: Targeted Community Infrastructure

Measure 4: First Responder Supports

Applications under Measures 1, 2 and 3 were submitted through the Local Authorities, while Measure 4 was targeted at voluntary organisations involved in emergency rescue or first-response efforts. The closing date for applications under the 2017 CLÁR programme was 5^thMay 2017 and over 500 applications were received across the four measures.

Successful projects were announced over the last few weeks, with a total of just under €7 million allocated to approximately 230 projects across the four Measures. Details of the approved projects are available on the Rural Affairs pages of the website . Payments will, in general, be made to the successful applicants on a phased basis when the projects have commenced and have achieved a satisfactory level of progress.

The CLÁR programme is an important part of the Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development, and makes a huge contribution to supporting the most depopulated areas in rural Ireland. Over 800 projects have now been approved for funding since the scheme was re-launched last year.