Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 July 2018
338. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the reason no project in County Wexford benefitted from the latest round of CLÁR funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29759/18]
View answerThe CLÁR programme was originally launched in October 2001 to provide targeted investment in disadvantaged rural areas. The areas originally selected for inclusion in the programme were those which suffered the greatest population decline from 1926 to 1996. The Cooley Peninsula which was also 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 areas, over the period 1926 to 1996, was 50%.
In 2006, an analysis of the 2002 Census data was carried out by the NIRSA Institute at Maynooth University and the programme was extended to include areas with an average population loss of 35% between 1926 and 2002.
The analysis, which was carried out at a District Electoral Division (DED) level, found that the level of population decline in Wexford did not meet the qualifying criteria for inclusion in the programme. As a result, no DED in Wexford was designated as a CLÁR DED.
It is my intention to carry out a full review of qualifying CLÁR areas later this year on the basis of the 2016 Census data. The level of depopulation will continue to be a primary factor in the designation of any area as a CLÁR area. This review will involve a detailed examination of all areas of the country, as well as stakeholder consultation. The findings of the review will inform future launches of the CLÁR programme in 2019 and beyond.
