Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 January 2017
773. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the population of the CLÁR areas in each county when they were designated last; his plans to review these areas in view of population shifts in the past ten years; if census 2016 data has been examined to date in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1035/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe CLÁR programme (Ceantair Laga Árd-Riachtanais) was originally launched in October 2001 to provide for targeted investment in disadvantaged rural areas.
The areas originally selected for inclusion in the CLÁR programme were those which suffered the greatest population decline from 1926 to 1996, with the exception of the Cooley Peninsula which was 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 regions over the period 1926 to 1996 was 50%.
In 2006, an analysis of the 2002 Census data was carried out by the National Institute for Regional and Spatial Analysis (NIRSA) at NUI Maynooth and the programme was extended to include areas with an average population loss of 35% per county between 1926 and 2002. Parts of five counties were added (Carlow, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Wicklow), increasing the total number of counties covered by the programme at that stage from 18 to 23.
The 2016 CLÁR programme was based on the same data and areas that applied in 2006. Table 1 below details the 2002 population of the 23 counties included the 2016 CLÁR scheme.
It is my intention to review the CLÁR areas in 2017 based on the detailed 2016 Census data which is expected to be available in March/April of this year.
CLÁR Population Summary
|
COUNTY |
Population 2002 |
Electoral Districts |
|
Carlow |
2,975 |
10 |
|
Cavan |
46,467 |
85 |
|
Clare |
46,297 |
123 |
|
Cork |
83,644 |
179 |
|
Donegal |
66,329 |
104 |
|
Galway |
64,531 |
145 |
|
Kerry |
72,753 |
142 |
|
Kilkenny |
8,243 |
31 |
|
Laois |
9,305 |
39 |
|
Leitrim |
25,799 |
76 |
|
Limerick |
21,829 |
49 |
|
Longford |
21,381 |
49 |
|
Louth |
8,124 |
7 |
|
Mayo |
84,349 |
141 |
|
Meath |
3,963 |
14 |
|
Monaghan |
30,006 |
55 |
|
Offaly |
4,797 |
20 |
|
Roscommon |
41,679 |
104 |
|
Sligo |
27,229 |
70 |
|
TippNR |
14,501 |
42 |
|
TippSR |
18,124 |
42 |
|
Waterford |
12,611 |
40 |
|
Westmeath |
10,197 |
40 |
|
Wicklow |
1,609 |
7 |
|
TOTAL |
726,742 |
1,614 |
