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, taking into account the availability of more recent CSO data.