Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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609. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of projects approved under CLÁR measures 1, 2, 3 and 4 since the programme was re-established on an annual basis by county; the number of projects that were not approved by county; the main reasons for refusal; if there is an appeal mechanism in place to appeal refusal decisions; the funding allocated for approved projects in each county under the CLÁR programme annually; and the final amount expended on approved projects annually to the end of 2018 in each county under CLÁR in tabular form. [3086/19]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, CLÁR is an important part of the Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development and focuses on areas which have suffered the greatest levels of population decline. 

The programme was effectively closed for new applications in 2010.  However, I re-launched CLÁR in 2016, and, since then, more than 1,200 projects have benefited from funding of €25 million under the programme. The type of projects which have been funded include safety measures around schools and other community facilities, multi-use play areas, supports for voluntary first-response emergency organisations, targeted community infrastructure needs, and funding for vehicles to transport people to cancer care centres and other respite services. 

The table below updates the information provided in my response to the Deputy’s question of 4^thDecember last. The 2017 figures provided in that response referred to the funding allocated in 2017 rather than the funding expended. The table summarises the number of projects approved, the number of unsuccessful projects, and the amounts paid out under the programme in each calendar year from 2016 to 2018, on a county basis. 

Details of the funding allocated to all approved projects in each county are available on my Department’s website at www.drcd.gov.ie/clar/.

There are various reasons why projects were not successful, which include:

- non-compliance with the scheme criteria,

- lack of match funding, and

- the level of demand exceeding the funding available. 

There is no formal appeals mechanism in place under the CLÁR programme, but my Department provides feedback in respect of unsuccessful applications on request.

CLÁR Programme – Summary of projects and payments by county