Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

113. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development her views on increasing the annual funding for the CLÁR programme. [53614/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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 each year, as appropriate. CLÁR has made significant investments at community level the length and breadth of the country. Funding of over €57 million has been approved for almost 2,100 projects since its re-launch.

I allocated €7 million to this year's programme, which I launched in February. 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’

The 2022 programme is now closed and details of the successful applications are published on my Department’s website. Funding of over €12 million was approved for almost 300 projects under CLÁR 2022.

I am happy to confirm that as part of Budget 2023 an additional €0.5m has been allocated to the CLÁR Programme for 2023.