North Cork Fine Gael Councillor has welcomed funding announced this week for three North Duhallow projects under the Clár Funding Scheme 2020.
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, announced details of over 4.1 million euro in funding to support 115 projects nationally in rural communities under Measure 1 and Measure 2 of the 2020 CLÁR programme. This funding will support the provision of safety measures around schools and community facilities, as well as the development of community recreation areas.
CLÁR provides funding for small scale projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of population decline.
The three Duhallow project approved today include:
- Kilbrin Community Council & Kilbrin National School are to receive €45,540 for a new footpath, pedestrian crossing and ramps for the village.
- Ballyhass NS are to receive €45,448 for to help them with their new Car Park and associated works at their School.
- Castlemagner Community Council are to receive €12,600 for new digital speed signs and ramps for the village.
Welcoming the news of funding, Cllr. O’Shea thanked Minister Humphrey’s and her department for allocating this funding to Ballyhass, Castlemagner and Kilbrin. Well done to all groups who were successful in today’s round of funding. “I know from working with all three groups that they will be delighted with this funding and will be working with Cork County Council now to implement these projects as soon as possible”.
Minister Humphreys said “I am delighted to announce over €4 million in funding nationally under the 2020 CLÁR programme which will benefit 115 communities across the country. Since the CLÁR Programme was re-introduced in 2016, it has provided funding to over 1,400 projects under various measures. The projects announced today will help to improve safety around schools and community facilities in CLÁR areas and help people to socialise in a safe and socially-distanced manner. The CLÁR programme supports rural areas that have suffered high levels of population decline. It is particularly important at this time that we provide people living in those areas with the infrastructure that will help them to stay in touch with each other, within the parameters of the public health guidelines at any given time.”
The Minister added “There was a high level of interest in the CLÁR programme once again this year and I am pleased to be able to approve funding for 115 projects around the country under Measures 1 and 2 of the programme. I know this funding will help to improve the quality of life for people in many rural communities.
I also hope to make further announcements under Measure 3 of the CLÁR programme shortly.”
Further Information:
The CLÁR (Ceantair Laga Árd-Riachtanais) programme is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and forms part of the Department’s Rural Development Investment Programme, which also includes supports under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, LEADER, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme and the Local Improvement Scheme. These schemes have a combined budget of almost €150 million this year.
CLÁR is a targeted investment programme for rural areas that aims to provide funding for small projects in areas that have experienced significant depopulation in the past. The aim of CLÁR is to support the sustainable development of identified CLÁR areas with the aim of maintaining the population of those areas. There are designated CLÁR areas in all counties with the exception of Dublin, Kildare and Wexford.
CLÁR funding works in conjunction with local funding and on the basis of locally identified priorities. Originally launched in 2001 but closed for applications in 2009, the CLÁR Programme was reintroduced in 2016.
The 2020 CLÁR programme was launched in May 2020 with applications invited under three separate Measures:
Measure1: Support for Schools/Community Safety Measures
Measure 2: Community Recreation Areas (new for 2020)
Measure 3: Community Wellbeing Support
- Meals on Wheels and linked services (new in 2020)
- Mobility and Cancer Care Transport,
Details of the successful projects under Measure 1 and 2 can be found onwww.gov.ie/drcd. Successful projects under Measure 3 will be announced in the coming weeks.
