An Agreed Programme for Government contains a commitment to annual funding for the CLÁR programme and to consideration of additional areas for inclusion in light of the 2002 population census data. Arising from the analysis of the 2002 population census, the Government decided on the additional areas for inclusion in the CLÁR programme and I announced these additions on 17 January 2003.
The critical criterion in the review was to maintain the criterion of a 50% overall population reduction and involved identifying and including any DEDs with a 50% plus population decline contiguous or near to existing CLÁR areas.
Arising from the review, no DEDs were removed. The number of DEDs in the revised programme has increased from 701 to 890 and the total population in the programme has increased from 284,000 to 362,000. Waterford is the only new county with areas included. The average decline of population in the total CLÁR area is now 49.89% or, excluding the Cooley Peninsula, 50.32%.
In the case of County Kerry, seven DEDs with a population of 3,111 were added. This brings the total population in County Kerry that is included in the programme to 30,309 in a total of 71 DEDs.
The following table details the number of additional DEDs and the population included in the revised programme.
I am sending separately to the Deputy the map and list of the previous and new DEDs in the CLÁR areas of County Kerry.
Revised CLÁR Programme
County
|
Pop. 1926
|
Pop. 1996
|
Pop. 2002
|
Avg.% Decline 1926-1996
|
Avg.% Decline 1926-2002
|
No. of DEDs
|
Additional DEDs
|
Cavan (Total)
|
82,452
|
52,944
|
56,414
|
-42.32
|
-28.92
|
91
|
|
old CLÁR
|
35,883
|
16,765
|
16,962
|
-55.81
|
-55.30
|
43
|
|
new CLÁR
|
56,241
|
28,409
|
29,435
|
-51.71
|
-50.08
|
69
|
26
|
Clare
|
95,061
|
94,006
|
103,333
|
-11.15
|
-0.06
|
153
|
|
old CLÁR
|
40,597
|
22,814
|
23,283
|
-47.42
|
-46.54
|
72
|
|
new CLÁR
|
61,093
|
35,381
|
35,655
|
-46.11
|
-45.95
|
102
|
30
|
Cork
|
272,226
|
420,510
|
448,181
|
0.62
|
8.45
|
398
|
|
old CLÁR
|
43,137
|
22,936
|
23,702
|
-47.36
|
-45.66
|
49
|
|
new CLÁR
|
63,517
|
34,457
|
35,137
|
-45.60
|
-44.83
|
83
|
34
|
Donegal
|
150,714
|
129,994
|
137,383
|
-19.94
|
-14.18
|
149
|
|
old CLÁR
|
46,227
|
24,717
|
24,533
|
-49.36
|
-49.49
|
55
|
|
new CLÁR
|
61,072
|
33,632
|
33,103
|
-47.53
|
-48.11
|
70
|
15
|
Galway
|
154,508
|
188,854
|
208,826
|
-14.46
|
-7.32
|
238
|
|
old CLÁR
|
42,222
|
22,612
|
22,517
|
-48.33
|
-49.34
|
57
|
|
new CLÁR
|
50,725
|
27,386
|
27,311
|
-47.60
|
-48.46
|
70
|
13
|
Kerry
|
149,081
|
126,130
|
132,424
|
-29.67
|
-27.09
|
166
|
|
old CLÁR
|
49,047
|
25,640
|
27,198
|
-51.85
|
-49.99
|
64
|
|
new CLÁR
|
55,042
|
29,041
|
30,309
|
-51.05
|
-49.91
|
71
|
7
|
Leitrim
|
59,902
|
25,057
|
25,815
|
-59.78
|
-59.12
|
77
|
|
old CLÁR
|
59,902
|
25,057
|
25,815
|
-59.78
|
-59.12
|
77
|
|
new CLÁR
|
59,902
|
25,057
|
25,815
|
-59.78
|
-59.12
|
77
|
0
|
Limerick
|
100,895
|
165,042
|
175,529
|
3.37
|
8.41
|
173
|
|
old CLÁR
|
760
|
402
|
373
|
-47.11
|
-50.92
|
1
|
|
new CLÁR
|
760
|
402
|
373
|
-47.11
|
-50.92
|
1
|
0
|
Longford
|
38,986
|
30,166
|
31,127
|
-33.84
|
-26.17
|
54
|
|
old CLÁR
|
16,917
|
9,350
|
9,147
|
-46.07
|
-46.84
|
25
|
|
new CLÁR
|
17,417
|
9,619
|
9,409
|
-46.08
|
-46.87
|
26
|
1
|
Monaghan
|
65,191
|
51,313
|
52,772
|
-26.83
|
-23.75
|
70
|
|
old CLÁR
|
8,975
|
4,262
|
4,444
|
-53.20
|
-51.12
|
12
|
|
new CLÁR
|
14,254
|
7,015
|
7,149
|
-51.85
|
-51.00
|
19
|
7
|
Roscommon
|
84,456
|
51,975
|
53,803
|
-39.49
|
-38.44
|
112
|
|
old CLÁR
|
54,304
|
25,277
|
25,436
|
-54.77
|
-55.17
|
66
|
|
new CLÁR
|
59,318
|
28,128
|
28,270
|
-53.23
|
-53.63
|
75
|
9
|
Sligo
|
71,406
|
55,821
|
58,178
|
-34.73
|
-32.48
|
82
|
|
old CLÁR
|
39,542
|
18,300
|
18,478
|
-55.03
|
-54.96
|
53
|
|
new CLÁR
|
48,190
|
23,148
|
23,649
|
-52.92
|
-52.48
|
64
|
11
|
TippNR
|
59,645
|
58,021
|
61,068
|
-12.96
|
-9.12
|
80
|
|
old CLÁR
|
6,276
|
3,205
|
3,234
|
-49.73
|
-49.95
|
9
|
|
new CLÁR
|
8,127
|
4,205
|
4,235
|
-49.51
|
-49.44
|
13
|
4
|
TippSR
|
81,370
|
75,514
|
79,213
|
-18.59
|
-7.67
|
96
|
|
old CLÁR
|
1,526
|
808
|
764
|
-46.29
|
-48.73
|
3
|
|
new CLÁR
|
1,526
|
808
|
764
|
-46.29
|
-48.73
|
3
|
0
|
Waterford
|
51,341
|
94,680
|
101,518
|
-5.79
|
-0.44
|
129
|
|
old CLÁR
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
new CLÁR
|
9,531
|
5,081
|
5,148
|
-47.24
|
-47.08
|
17
|
17
|
Westmeath
|
56,818
|
63,314
|
72,027
|
-0.47
|
13.30
|
106
|
|
old CLÁR
|
2,188
|
902
|
974
|
-60.06
|
-55.34
|
6
|
|
new CLÁR
|
6,909
|
3,329
|
3,452
|
-52.56
|
-50.73
|
18
|
12
|
old CLÁR
|
565,827
|
283,654
|
287,270
|
-51.61
|
-51.35
|
701
|
|
new CLÁR
|
695,946
|
357,947
|
361,901
|
-50.06
|
-49.89
|
890
|
189
|
old CLÁR (exLouth)
|
557,845
|
275,858
|
279,190
|
-52.14
|
-51.92
|
694
|
|
new CLÁR (exLouth)
|
687,964
|
350,151
|
353,821
|
-50.46
|
-50.32
|
883
|
189
|