John Gormley
Question:103 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will report on recent initiatives by his Department seeking to halt and reverse rural depopulation. [14425/03]
Written Answers. - Rural Depopulation.
Bernard J. Durkan
Question:135 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his plans to address rural depopulation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14456/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 135 together.
My Department is committed to maintaining the maximum number of people in rural areas and to strengthening rural communities economically, socially and culturally. To this end, my Department is involved in a wide range of invest ment programmes, both EU and national to promote this objective.
In addition to the EU programmes and the national development plan investments, I also introduced the CLÁR programme in October, 2001 to address depopulation as well as the decline and lack of services in rural areas.
Areas in 18 counties have been selected under this programme. These include areas I announced last January in honouring the Government commitment in An Agreed Programme for Government to review the areas in light of the 2002 population census results. These areas suffered the greatest population decline from 1926 to 2002 with an average population loss of 50%. The exception is the Cooley Peninsula which was included based on the serious difficulties caused there by foot and mouth disease.
The measures I have introduced under the programme reflect the priorities identified by the communities in the selected areas whom I consulted at the outset. CLÁR funds, or co-funds with Departments, State agencies and local authorities investment in selected priority developments and supports physical, community and social infrastructure.