Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 July 2022
918. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development further to recent correspondence to her from Donegal ETB, when she will consider the details of the 2021 review of CLÁR areas nationally, using the 2016 Census of Population and make a decision on whether to include additional electoral divisions in County Donegal into the CLÁR scheme or not [35505/22]
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 depopulation over a defined period.
A review of CLÁR areas nationally was undertaken in 2021 using the 2016 Census of Population data. The review examined the most recent changes in population patterns throughout the country on the basis of 2016 Census data. It also examined the approach to developing the existing CLÁR designations, which is based on 2002 data and it considered how changes in population since then impacted on designations. While many areas will have seen population growth in the relevant period, the details of the review are being considered by my Department before any decisions are made in relation to areas which are designated as eligible for CLÁR.
