Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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39. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will consider changing the application process under CLÁR, measure 1; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26534/24]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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41. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the outcome of the review into CLÁR areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26540/24]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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46. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if it is proposed to extend the CLÁR areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26539/24]

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I understand the question is grouped with a number of questions from Deputy Brendan Smith who would have raised questions with the Minister about the Ballyhaise and Castletara areas being included in the CLÁR area. The Deputy is held up with the Good Friday committee meeting at this stage but I ask that the Minister might be able to address those points. In particular, I want to raise with the Minister the possibility of changing the application process for the CLÁR measure 1 applications as residents in larger counties feel that the current scheme, as it is constituted with a maximum of 15 applicants per county, is placing people in CLÁR areas in the larger counties at a disadvantage.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 39 , 41 and 46 together.

My Department's CLÁR scheme is a targeted investment programme that provides funding for small-scale infrastructural projects in rural areas that experience disadvantage and significant levels of depopulation. This scheme has gone from strength to strength in recent years. Under the 2023 scheme, I approved over €13 million for 303 projects. This is the largest allocation under the scheme since it was reintroduced in 2016.

The 2024 CLÁR programme was launched on 12 April last. There are three separate measures being funded this year.

Measure 1 of the scheme will fund the development of community facilities and amenities. This a broad measure designed to facilitate the different needs in different CLÁR areas, be that the need for community gardens, an AstroTurf pitch or the upgrade of the local youth centre. Applications for this measure are received through each local authority and the closing date for receipt of applications under this measure was yesterday, 19 June. Measure 2 covers the purchase and fit-out of vehicles for voluntary groups providing transport for people with mobility issues, transport for cancer care, first responders and meals on wheels. The closing date for this measure has now passed and I hope to make an announcement of the successful applications in quarter 3 of this year. Measure 3 was put in place to provide opportunities directly for projects located on the islands in line with my Department's Islands policy. This provides funding for community amenities and community-based transport projects. The closing date for applications under this measure was also yesterday, 19 June.

In advance of the launch of the CLÁR programme each year, I review the measures to be included in the scheme and make any adjustments to the application process as appropriate. For example, this year I have included support for meals-on-wheels services under measure 2 of the scheme.

With regard to the selection of CLÁR areas, I advise the Deputy that the areas originally selected for inclusion in the programme in 2001 were those which suffered the greatest level of population decline from 1926 to 1996. The average population loss in the original CLÁR areas over the period 1926 to 1996 was 50%.

In 2006, an analysis of the 2002 Census data was carried out by Maynooth University and the programme was extended to include areas with an average population loss of 35% between 1926 and 2002.

A national review of CLÁR areas was subsequently undertaken in 2021 using the 2016 Census of population data. From the review it is clear that many areas have seen population growth in the relevant period rather than decline and, indeed, the most recent census data published by the Central Statistics Office points to further population growth across all counties since 2016.

The details of the review continue to be considered by my Department. In addition, the implications of the latest Census data would need to be evaluated before any decisions are made in relation to changing areas eligible for funding under the CLÁR programme. I believe that the current designation has served us well and I do not want to make changes unless they add value to the scheme.

Furthermore, we need to also consider the context in which CLÁR now operates. I have developed a suite of supports for communities in rural areas so that there are a range of different funding options available to rural communities, be they in CLÁR areas or otherwise. These include the town and village renewal scheme, the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme and the community recognition fund, to name a few. The community recognition fund has only been in existence for just over a year and already has a budget of €100 million.

Many of these targeted funding schemes are administered through the local authority network. It is a matter for the local authorities to engage and collaborate with communities with a view to maximising the potential funding in areas, taking account of the various funds available throughout the year. They are well placed to assess the need locally.

Other schemes, such as the community centres investment fund, involve direct application to my Department by community groups. I opened a new round of that funding only last week and it has full national coverage.

While I will continue to review the operation of the scheme and the application process each year, I believe the current model has served us well and is delivering for our most rural areas. Since the programme was relaunched in 2016, the CLÁR programme has provided funding under a range of different targeted measures. Since 2016, funding of over €70 million has been provided to support almost 2,400 projects nationwide. Included in this figure is funding of almost €4.2 million for County Cork, which has seen the delivery of 130 different projects. I assure the Deputies of my ongoing commitment to rural Ireland through the CLÁR programme. I look forward to announcing the successful projects under this year’s scheme in the coming months.

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The CLÁR scheme, without doubt, has been a successful scheme. It is giving real meaningful assistance to so many community groups.

There are difficulties with the application process. As it is 15 applications per county, irrespective of how many CLÁR communities one's country covers, it means that the larger counties feel disadvantaged in it.

If one takes a snapshot of last year's allocations, in County Cork, 11 schemes were approved with €456,000, even though it does not cover all of the Cork county. A similar CLÁR area would be the counties of Leitrim, Roscommon and Sligo combined. Leitrim had seven applications totalling €301,000; Roscommon, eight; and Sligo, seven. Between them, €800,000 was distributed across 22 schemes. This was double what was available in County Cork in much the same area. Right next door to them in County Mayo is another large CLÁR area, with only four applications approved and €177,000 distributed across them. That is in contrasts with County Louth where only the Cooley Peninsula would be part of the CLÁR area and where six schemes were approved, getting €254,000. Clearly, there is an imbalance. That needs to be addressed.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The CLÁR scheme works extremely well. It depends on how much of one's country is allocated in CLÁR as well. We can compare one set of figures with different county sizes. I appreciate Cork is a big county. The number of projects approved in Cork since 2016 was 130 and they got funding of €4.184 million. I do not have the map of what areas in Cork are designated as CLÁR but some counties have a lot more CLÁR areas because they had a great deal more population decline. That is why they have a bigger CLÁR area. It depends how many applications the local authorities send in as well. It depends on what they look for too. We try to be as fair as we can here. We try to allocate the resources that we have in the best way that we can. It goes through an assessment process within my Department.

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Capping the application numbers at 15 per county irrespective of the size of the CLÁR area in the county is not equitable right across the country. There are large counties. I gave the example of County Cork. County Mayo, for example, which would have a very large CLÁR area, with four applications approved, got €177,000 in contrast to its neighbours, counties Leitrim, Roscommon and Sligo, where 22 communities were approved, which got €800,000 in a similar geographical area of CLÁR. There is an imbalance in the way the scheme is distributing the funding.

It seems to start, and many communities locally will raise this, with the fact that only 15 applications can go in from every county, irrespective of how big a CLÁR area is or how many CLÁR communities are being served. It is an aspect that needs to be reviewed and examined so that people feel there is a more equitable system and that being in a larger county does not disadvantage them further, where they have already experienced disadvantage in respect of CLÁR.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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People get caught up on certain schemes. Substantial funding is also being provided to County Cork under a range of other schemes operated by my Department. Since 2020, €5.7 million has gone to Cork under the town and village scheme, and €32.3 million has been allocated to Cork under the rural regeneration scheme in the same period. Cork was allocated €3.4 million in 2023 and €3.2 million in 2024 under the community recognition fund; €4.7 million has been allocated to 96 refurbishment projects in Cork under the community investment fund; €1.6 million was allocated to one new-build project in Rylane; €16.8 million was allocated across the three LEADER areas in Cork; and €4.1 million was allocated to Cork projects under the outdoor recreation scheme. Cork is not losing out. I hear what the Deputy is saying. I appreciate he has to make the case for his county, but I have to look at it in the round. I hear what the Deputy is saying, however.