Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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344. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when the 2017 CLÁR funding announced recently will be allocated to Sligo and Leitrim county councils; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32247/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The 2017 CLÁR programme was launched on 31 March 2017 and provides funding for small scale infrastructural projects in disadvantaged rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population. Funding was 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 May 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, including 9 projects in Co. Sligo and 17 projects in Co. Leitrim. Details of all approved projects are available at .

Contracts for the funding approved under Measures 1, 2 and 3 have now issued to all of the relevant Local Authorities. Payments under the programme will be issued when agreed thresholds of expenditure, as set out in these contracts, have been reached by the Local Authorities.

Similarly, contracts have been issued to the voluntary organisations which were successful under Measure 4.