Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 March 2022
876. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if there is a contingency fund within the overall allocation for CLÁR funding given the rise in construction costs, quotations given in 2020 and beginning of 2021 have increased up to 40%. [11488/22]
View answerThe CLÁR programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population over a defined period. The measures to be included in the CLÁR programme are reviewed and revised, if appropriate, each year.
The 2022 CLÁR programme was launched on the 24th February last with an increased budget of €7 million euros, this is an additional €1.5 million from the budgetary provision in 2021.
The measures being funded under CLÁR 2022 are:
Measure 1: Developing Community Facilities & Amenities
Measure 2: Mobility, Cancer Care and Community First Responders Transport
Measure 3: Our Islands
There are established procedures in place permitting a successful applicant under the CLAR scheme to submit a ‘Change of Purpose’ request in respect of approved projects where circumstances have changed since the project was originally scoped and funding sought. This includes instances where constructions costs have increased since the original submission. This provides an opportunity for applicants to revise the scope of the project based on a clearly justified rationale and subject to approval by my Department. This approval is only provided where the overall project costs remain within the initial grant amount and the overall changes are broadly in line with the original objectives of the project.
