Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 4 Dec 2001

Vol. 545 No. 4

Written Answers. - Rural Development.

Tony Killeen

Question:

184 Mr. Killeen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development his plans to encourage development in the areas designated under the CLÁR programme; if he has lobbied for the inclusion of the area in a suitable tax designation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30797/01]

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Éamon Ó Cuív)

In the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness the Government gave a commitment for a targeted investment programme in both urban and rural disadvantaged areas. CLÁR is the programme for revitalising rural areas and is up and running since 5 October 2001.

I have selected 16 areas to participate in the programme. My primary criterion for selecting areas was the greatest percentage loss of population between 1926 and 1996. These are, in general, the areas experiencing the most rural degeneration with a constant decline in population, withdrawal of services and high dependency ratios. I have also included the area which had a full cull of livestock due to foot and mouth disease recently, the Cooley Peninsula. The areas selected include parts of all the counties of Connacht/Ulster, parts of five counties in Munster and parts of four counties in Leinster. The average population loss in all these areas is 50% and the total population that will benefit from the programme is 283,000.

CLÁR will operate through two basic instruments, namely, the reprioritising of investments under the national development plan to ensure that these areas get priority of investments under the plan and a £20 million dedicated fund over two years, 2002-2003, to provide matching funding to Government Departments and other State agencies for special projects, including some not included in the NDP that are urgently needed for rural development. Priority will be given to co-funded projects to be undertaken by other State agencies and in the case of community development also by the local community. Particular consideration will be given to projects that provide basic social infrastructure such as care of the eld erly and other social services for the vulnerable groups.

Special consideration will also be given to economic infrastructure, such as enterprise centres, small broadband projects and other basic infrastructure, which would have a clear benefit in terms of employment creation, thus providing opportunities to local people who otherwise would have limited employment expectations.

My aim is to complete the preparatory phase of the programme by the end of this year and that investment to these areas can begin to flow in 2002. CLÁR is not a tax designation scheme and tax designation did not form part of the Government decision. It is not intended to seek tax designation for CLÁR areas.