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. The project referred to by the Deputy was approved funding of €20,000 under the 2019 CLÁR Programme.

A claim for payment in respect of this project was subject to pre-payment inspection. As part of that process and following engagement with the local authority, a letter of findings was issued to the local authority in January 2022. This included a determination of ineligible funding of over €18,000 for works completed that were not part of the approved application. My Department was not notified of any changes to the project prior to the inspection.

The local authority appealed the decision on the ineligible funding. However, the Inspector's decision was upheld by the appeals board. A letter was sent to Mayo County Council in March 2022 informing them of the appeal decision.

An amount of €1,436.69 was drawn down on this project in 2022.