Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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900. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development her plans to reintroduce the CLÁR group water top up that was part of the CLÁR programme until 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25101/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The CLÁR programme provides funding for small scale projects in rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population. As the Deputy is aware, no funding was available for new applications under the programme between 2010 and 2016 due to constraints on the public finances.

Since the programme was relaunched in 2016, it has supported a range of different Measures including:

- Safety measures around schools and community facilities

- Outdoor play facilities

- Local access roads

- Targeted community infrastructure needs

- First response support measures

- Support for mobility and cancer care transport

- Community wellbeing supports

- Community recreation areas

- Meals on wheels and linked services.

This year's programme places a particular focus on supporting CLÁR communities to deal with the impact of COVID-19 in their areas. At present, I have no plans to reintroduce a group water top-up to the programme.

A review of the CLÁR programme is currently underway and this review will examine a number of issues which will inform the future direction of the programme, including the implications of 2016 Census of Population data on CLÁR areas, and whether factors other than depopulation should be considered as part of the eligibility criteria.

This review will also help to determine the most appropriate measures to be included in CLÁR programmes in the future.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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901. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development her plans to reintroduce measure 1V of the CLÁR scheme in 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25102/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The CLÁR programme provides funding for small scale projects in rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population. As the Deputy is aware, no funding was available for new applications under the programme between 2010 and 2016 due to constraints on the public finances.

Since the programme was relaunched in 2016 it has supported a range of different Measures, including the First Response Support Measure which I understand is the Measure referred to in the Deputy's question.

The First Response Support Measure provided funding for vehicles and equipment directly involved in emergency rescue or first response efforts. Funding of approximately €2.8m was provided for 144 projects under the First Response Measure from 2017 to 2019.

The Measures to be included in the CLÁR Programme are reviewed and revised each year. In 2020, new Measures have been introduced to support CLÁR communities to deal with the impact of COVID-19 in their areas. As a result, funding is not being provided for the First Response Support Measure in 2020.

I will keep the position in respect of funding for the First Response Support Measure under review in 2021.