James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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159. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans to review the CLÁR areas based on the 2016 census returns; the timeline for the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45960/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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CLÁR was originally launched in October 2001 to provide for targeted investment in disadvantaged rural areas. The areas originally selected for inclusion in the programme were those which suffered the greatest population decline from 1926 to 1996. The Cooley Peninsula was also included on the basis of the serious difficulties caused in that area by Foot and Mouth disease. The average population loss in the original CLÁR regions over the period 1926 to 1996 was 50%.

In 2006, an analysis of the 2002 Census data was carried out by the NIRSA Institute at Maynooth University and the programme was extended to include areas with an average population loss of 35% between 1926 and 2002.

The CLÁR programme was closed for new applications in 2010. However, I re-launched the programme in the second half of 2016, using as a base-line the areas identified in the work carried out by NIRSA. Over 1,200 projects have been approved for funding of €25 million under CLÁR since I re-launched the programme in 2016.

I have now initiated a review of the CLÁR programme which will, in particular, examine CLÁR areas by reference to the 2016 Census of Population data. The review process will begin with a targeted consultation meeting with a number of people who are recognised for their background and expertise in relation to rural development issues. This meeting is scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

The review will also involve more detailed stakeholder consultation and will inform future launches of the CLÁR programme in 2019 and beyond. I anticipate that the review will be completed early in 2019.