Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 December 2004
228 Mr. Lowry asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he plans to continue to expand the CLÁR programme; if he intends to launch a similar programme targeted at areas of rural population decline and socio-economic disadvantage; if so, the details of the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32085/04]
View answer229 Mr. Lowry asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will consider expanding the CLÁR programme to include addition rurally disadvantaged areas, particularly those identified as socioeconomically disadvantaged or suffering from rural population decline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32086/04]
View answer230 Mr. Lowry asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will consider areas (details supplied) for funding under the CLÁR programme or a similar initiative; if, in the case of areas already funded, he will provide additional funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32087/04]
View answer231 Mr. Lowry asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will consider launching an initiative to target problems facing rural communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32088/04]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 228 to 231, inclusive, together.
I 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, with a population of 362,000, have been selected under the programme including areas I announced in January 2003 in honouring the commitment to review in An Agreed Programme for Government in light of the 2002 population census data.
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 on the basis of the serious difficulties caused there by foot and mouth disease. There are no plans for any further review of the boundary of CLÁR areas. I can also confirm that no other significant areas fulfil the population criteria for inclusion in CLÁR.
Of the areas detailed by the Deputy, three are in DEDs already included in CLÁR in north Tipperary. These are Upperchurch in Upperchurch DED, Kilcommon in Foilnamon DED and Rearcross in Abbington DED.
The population changes in the eight north Tipperary areas listed, not in CLÁR, ranged from -34% to +26% in the period 1926-2002. Clearly, these areas could not be considered forinclusion.
|
Killoscully |
Killoscully DED |
- 20.91 |
|
Borrisokane |
Borrisokane DED |
+ 6.35 |
|
Aglish |
Aglishcloghane DED |
- 34.08 |
|
Lorrha |
Lorrha West DED |
- 20.00 |
|
Rathcabban |
Rathcabban DED |
- 33.93 |
|
Cloughjordan |
Cloughjordan DED |
- 27.26 |
|
Clonmore |
Ballynaclough DED |
+ 25.92 |
|
Ballingarry |
Ballingarry DED |
- 21.11 |
The remaining four areas mentioned are in south Tipperary and are not included in CLÁR for the same reason. The population changes in these areas ranged from -38% to +33% in the period 1926-2002.
|
Boherlahan |
Nodstown DED |
- 23.59 |
|
Dualla |
Magorban DED |
-16.73 |
|
The Commons |
Farranrory DED |
- 37.66 |
|
Killenaule |
Killenaule DED |
+ 33.46 |
CLÁR funds or co-funds, together with other Departments, State agencies and local authorities, investment in selected priority developments. These investments are made through a series of more than 20 measures, which 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 measures were agreed with and are 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 new measures I may introduce, depending on identified needs. Equally, I will keep the operation of existing measures under review.
The merits of this practice are reflected in the successful delivery of the programme. Expenditure amounted to €14.14 million in 2002 and €8.613 million in 2003 which, it is estimated, secured a further €21 million in related public and private expenditure in these areas, which otherwise would have been bottom of the list for infrastructure investment.
To date, nearly €21 million has been allocated to the counties in CLÁR under the various measures operating under the programme. From 2002 to date, more than €452,000 has been approved for developments in the CLÁR areas of north Tipperary with €357,000 expenditure drawn down over the same period.
CLÁR is not the only programme supporting rural communities. My Department is responsible for the implementation of the Leader programmes. Leader is the European Community initiative for rural development, which provides approved local action groups with public funding — EU and domestic — to implement multi-sectoral business plans for the development of their own areas. In accordance with the bottom-up philosophy of rural development, the local Leader group is the decision-making authority in relation to approving actions falling within its business plan. Leader is being delivered in two ways during the current structural fund period 2000-2006: the EU initiative, Leader+, and the area based rural development programme — Leader — funded under the Border, midland and west, BMW, and southern and eastern regional operational programmes. Public co-funding of these programmes, amounting to €150 million, has been allocated over the period to 2006.
My Department's responsibilities also include the rural development aspects of the cross Border programmes, PEACE and INTERREG as well as the farm relief services measure of the National Development Plan 2000-06.
Funding for the local development social inclusion programme is also provided by the Department. This programme aims to counter disadvantage and promote equality and social and economic inclusion through the provision of funding and support to local partnerships and community groups, including those in rural areas.
As promised in An Agreed Programme for Government, in May this year I introduced the rural social scheme on a phased basis through the Leader companies and Údarás na Gaeltachta and the scheme is now available throughout the country.
The Government's continuing support for rural communities in evident in the Estimates for 2005. Overall, the provisions for community affairs and rural affairs in the Estimates of my Department each show a 19% increase.
