Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 July 2017
154. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the methodology for calculating if a district electoral division is eligible for funding under the CLÁR programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31789/17]
View answerThe CLÁR programme (Ceantair Laga Árd-Riachtanais) was originally launched in October 2001 to provide for targeted investment in disadvantaged rural areas. The National Institute for Spatial Analysis (NIRSA) in Maynooth University was engaged at that time to carry out an analysis of population census data at District Electoral Division (DED) level for the years 1926 and 1996.
The areas originally selected for inclusion in the CLÁR programme on the basis of this analysis were those which suffered the greatest population decline from 1926 to 1996 (with the exception of the Cooley Peninsula which was included on the basis of the serious difficulties caused in that area by Foot and Mouth disease). The average population loss in the original CLÁR regions over the period 1926 to 1996 was 50%.
In 2006, an analysis of the 2002 Census data was carried out by NIRSA and the programme was extended to include areas with an average population loss of 35% per county between 1926 and 2002. Parts of five counties were added (Carlow, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Wicklow), increasing the total number of counties covered by the programme at that stage from 18 to 23. A total of 1,614 DEDs are included in the CLÁR regions in those counties.
The 2016 and 2017 CLÁR programmes were based on the same data and areas that applied in 2006. It is my intention to review the CLÁR areas later this year, based on detailed 2016 Census small area data which is expected to be available shortly. However, the criterion of significant rural de-population will continue to be a key factor in determining eligible CLÁR areas.
