Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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592. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding schemes available to national schools for the improvement of playgrounds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7669/19]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Primary responsibility for the development of school facilities rests with my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills.

From my own Department's perspective, the CLÁR programme provides funding for small scale projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of depopulation. The types of projects which have been supported since I re-launched the programme in 2016 include safety measures around schools and community facilities, and the provision of play areas.

Under the 2018 CLÁR programme, national schools applied to their Local Authority for improvement works to playgrounds and, in turn, the Local Authorities submitted a list of projects to my Department for consideration.

I intend to launch a further call for proposals under CLÁR this year and I will be making decisions shortly regarding the specific measures to be supported in 2019. I anticipate that the programme will be opened for new applications in the first quarter of the year.