Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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106. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development her views on increasing the annual funding for the CLÁR programme. [44966/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The CLÁR programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas.

The programme was re-launched in 2016 following a number of years when the scheme was closed to new applications. Measures to be included in the CLÁR programme are reviewed and revised, if appropriate, each year. CLÁR has made significant investments at community level the length and breadth of the country. Funding of almost €55 million has been approved for over 2,000 projects since its re-launch.

I allocated €7 million to this year's programme, which I launched in February last. This represents an increase of €1.5 million on last year’s budget.

The measures being funded under this year are:

- Measure 1: Developing Community Facilities and Amenities

- Measure 2: Mobility, Cancer Care and Community First Responders Transport

- Measure 3: ‘Our Islands’

Details of the successful applications are published on my Department’s website. Projects funded include astro-turfs, sensory gardens, handball alleys, outdoor cinemas, hurling walls, basketball courts, walkways, public toilets, community gyms, youth hubs, and community cafés.

Any decision in relation to future funding levels for the CLÁR programme is subject to the annual budgetary process and the capital funding allocations set out in the National Development Plan.