Robert Troy
Question:603. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will approve a CLÁR application for groups (details supplied). [50675/23]
View answerTuesday, 21 November 2023
Questions (603)
Written answers
The 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.
Since the programme was relaunched in 2016, it has supported a wide range of measures with over €57 million being approved for almost 2,100 projects throughout rural Ireland.
I launched the 2023 programme in March and it is divided into three measures.
Under Measure 1, grants from €5,000 to €50,000 are being provided to support the development of community and sports facilities, youth clubs, playgrounds, sensory gardens and walking tracks.
Measure 2 of the programme will continue to provide funding of up to €100,000 to support local community and voluntary groups to purchase vehicles for the transport of cancer patients to treatment centres.
Measure 3 of the Programme is designed to support offshore island communities, with maximum grants of €120,000 available for community transport projects and up to €50,000 available to develop community amenity projects.
All the groups referenced by the Deputy refer to Measure 1 applications. Community groups submit applications under Measure 1 directly to their local authority, who can then prioritise up to 15 to forward to my Department for consideration for funding.
I can confirm that 15 applications seeking almost €637,000 have been submitted by Westmeath County Council under Measure 1. This includes applications from 3 of the groups referred to by the deputy. An application from the third group listed by the Deputy was not received from Westmeath County Council.
I was pleased to announce the approval of funding of over €2million for 37 projects under Measure 2 in August of this year. This included support for 2 applications from County Westmeath.
My officials are currently considering all applications submitted under Measures 1 and 3 of the CLÁR programme. I expect to make an announcement of the successful projects under Measures 1 and 3 of the CLÁR programme in the coming weeks.