Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 April 2004
137 Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the progress made to date in regard to the implementation of the CLÁR programme; the number of areas in respect of which plans have been submitted to his Department; the projected budgets for these plans; when work on the implementation of the plans is likely to get underway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11843/04]
View answer158 Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the amount of money available to the Government for the CLÁR programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11844/04]
View answer847 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the position in regard to the CLÁR programme with particular reference to its potential to expand its scope to assist communities for whom it was intended; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12114/04]
View answerI propose to take Question Nos. 137, 158 and 847 together.
I introduced the CLÁR programme in October 2001 to address depopulation as well as the decline and lack of services in rural areas. The agreed programme for Government contained a commitment to annual funding for the CLÁR programme and to consider additional areas for inclusion in light of the 2002 population census data. The Government decided on the additional areas for inclusion in the CLÁR programme and I announced these on 17 January 2003. Areas in 18 counties are now included in the programme and there are no plans for any further review of the boundary of CLÁR areas.
CLÁR funds, or co-funds, with other Departments, State agencies and local authorities, investment in selected priority developments. These investments are made, not on the basis of "plans", as referred to by the Deputy, but through a series of measures, over 20 in all, that support physical, economic and social infrastructure such as electricity conversion, roads, water and sewerage, village, housing and schools enhancement, health, broadband and sports and community projects. The measures reflect the priorities identified by the communities in the selected areas whom I consulted at the start of the programme. The projects under each measure are generally selected or recommended by the relevant Departments, State agencies, Leader groups and local authorities in consultation with my Department.
All the 18 CLÁR regions are benefiting under a variety of these measures. It is not possible to detail these, but I will send the information to the Deputies shortly. The measures were agreed with and are, for the most part, operated in tandem with the lead Departments, State agencies or public utilities, as appropriate. This ensures efficiency and effectiveness and meets the needs of the people in the CLÁR areas. I intend to continue this practice for any new measures I may introduce, depending on needs identified. Equally, I will keep under review the operation of existing measures.
The merits of this practice are reflected in the successful delivery of the programme. Expenditure amounted to €14.14 million in 2002 and to €8.613 million in 2003 which, it is estimated, levered out a further €21 million in related public and private expenditure in those two years into the areas which otherwise would have been bottom of the list for infrastructure investment. The provision in the Estimates for 2004 is €13.49 million, a 57% increase in the 2003 outturn, which will enable the continuation of investment under existing measures of the programme and provide scope for the introduction of such new measures as may be identified during the year.
With the ongoing co-operation of other Departments, State agencies and public utilities, CLÁR will continue to deliver on the commitment of supporting rural communities.
