Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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605. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the way in which an area is designated as 'rural' under the CLÁR Programme; if she is concerned that some areas and communities that would have long considered themselves as rural communities are being denied access to funding under the CLÁR Programme due to the existing eligibility criteria; if she will consider reviewing what constitutes a rural area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45695/22]

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 that have experienced significant levels of depopulation over a defined period. 

A review of CLÁR areas nationally was undertaken in 2021 using the 2016 Census of Population data.  The review examined the most recent changes in population patterns throughout the country on the basis of 2016 Census data. It also examined the approach to developing the existing CLÁR designations, which is based on 2002 data and it considered how changes in population since then impacted on designations. 

Many areas will have seen population growth in the relevant period, and indeed the most recent census data published by the Central Statistics Office point to population growth across all counties since 2016.  The details of the review are being considered by my Department before any decisions are made in relation to areas which are designated as eligible for CLÁR.

The CLÁR Programme has closed for 2022. In advance of the launch of CLÁR next year I will review the supports under the programme.